Chuck vs The omni
by Mrs.Phineas Bogg
Summary: When Chuck flashes on an eccentric antiques dealer, it launches a cosmic adventure with Time Travelers Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones. They are part of a cosmic group called Voyagers. Despite the radical differences, they must all work together to stop the madman and a rogue Voyager from destroying a team Chuck member's past, California, and the fabric of history!
1. The Great Earthquake

**Chapter 1: The Great Earthquake**

* * *

**A/N:** This crossover story involves two of my favorite shows, _Voyagers!_ and _Chuck_. _(For more info on Voyagers, pleases visit my website linked through my profile, you'll learn all you need to know!)_ As the fic progresses the Voyagers side of it is explained and rest assured, it's fairly simple and fun. The story begins in 2008 when I wrote it. Hope you enjoy this one and please leave reviews!)

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 1: The Great Earthquake**

**Burbank Mall, April 15****th** **2008**

Chuck Bartowski experienced a very weird flash as he stopped to watch a news broadcast on the Buy More flat screen. He saw gadgets and gizmos, and contraptions and doohickeys with powerful vibrations launch at the push of a button. The antiquated technology confused him. Blueprints from mine and quarry tests flickered through his brain and then it ended. He studied the lanky, fair-haired antiquities dealer who was oddly dressed in nineteen–hundreds fashion with a modern flair.

"Boy is he steampunk." Chuck mumbled.

He took note of a pasty, wide-eyed museum curator standing next to the dealer and a painting situated in the background as they shook hands. The dealer triggered his flash. Chuck could have sworn he glimpsed him, though the image came peculiarly from an old photograph.

_"We have many beautiful pieces that we received from 'The Great Earthquake' in 1906 and it is only fitting to honor the momentous event with this auction."_ The curator beamed_. "All pieces were __graciously donated by the Wilhelm Julian Collection. This is my personal collection."_

_"Can you describe some of these items, Mr. Julian?" _The Curator pressed.

_"It is very exciting to have my collection up for public sale, it's akin to a turn of the century flea market! Those were grand, I tell you! We have kitchenware, fixtures, clothing and we've recovered missing costumes from the Metropolitan Opera Company. We also have artwork…"_

_"Oh, can I say what my favorite piece is?"_

_"Of course, Mr. Hirschfield."_

_"Julian acquired some kind of brass pocket watch device. It displays gorgeous intricacies in its craftsmanship and was fitted with a globe and colored lights, even though electricity was fairly new at the time of its discovery in the Hotel. It's a marvel of design!"_

After a little more bantering, the curator ended the interview and noted that only serious investors would be considered.

Chuck rubbed his chin. _Charles Carmichael wouldn't mind having a doorknob from 1906. _He thought.

Major John Casey caught Chuck's dull-eyed, vacant stare at the HD screens and grunted.

"We have a _winner."_ He muttered, and then smiled politely at a female customer out to buy a dryer and get a date.

She giggled and flirted and twirled her bright pink nails through bleached hair. She pouted her collagen-enhanced lips, which only further revealed their unusual, guppy form. Her forty-five year old forehead was smooth as a porcelain doll. Casey sighed. _Real_ beauty in a woman was hard to find these days.

"Are you sure, _big guy?_ Does Buy More have a warranty? Maybe _you_ can come over and fix it? I bet you're pretty handy."

Casey held back a laugh and ran his large hand teasingly over the top of the dryer. He moved close enough to see her arm hairs prickle and her fingers claw at her tight tee shirt. He put his mouth an inch from her ear.

"I can personally guarantee this baby gets _very hot_ and it doesn't shrink._"_ He whispered earnestly. _"Go for it…" _

The woman was about ready to jump him when Chuck ran over and dragged him away. Casey planned on this course of action. He nodded mischievously as she rushed to complete her purchase. She caught his eye and he tapped his name tag on the Buy More green shirt.

Chuck groaned and rolled his eyes. "Casey, we have an emergency, I flashed! Time for a break!"

"_Relax_, Chuck. I saw your mug go brain dead for a few seconds, but it's not much difference from your usual face…let's go!"

Chuck wagged his fist as Casey marched out of the store. One of these days, Casey would meet his match and they wouldn't tolerate his rudeness.

"Put the fist cuffs down, Bartowski. You know you'd never win."

**~Oo~**

**April 18th** **1906, San Francisco, California.**

A young man and a boy landed from the sky in a wide-open square at 5:00am. A red light buzzed on the man's brass omni. The quiet streets filled with merchants beginning their workday with the sunrise. The man and boy wandered a few blocks and wondered about the source of the red light. They came to rest in front of the huge and architecturally stunning _Palace Hotel_.

Jeffrey Jones paced the entrance distracted, trying to figure out the error in the time zone. His partner, Phineas Bogg, yawned and rested on his side.

"Anything yet, kid?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. It would help if you had your guidebook." Jeffrey said.

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to pick a new one up at Headquarters. Don't worry, I trust your smarts."

"That should be the other way around."

Bogg sat up and feigned offense. "Hey, you're the history whiz, not me."

"But you're the one who graduated Voyagers academy and I'm just 12, you're…how old are you?"

Phineas grinned. "Twenty-six. Give or take a few centuries."

"Bogg, Voyagers are not immortal."

"We should be with all the time-hopping we do."

Just as a thought about the current events came to Jeffrey, the ground rumbled and knocked him off his feet. Phineas sprang off the fountain just as the spout cracked. Water streamed up and soaked him.

"Bogg! What's going on?"

"I don't know!"

The support beams fractured, but the hotel held up valiantly under the sudden and violent quake. Phineas ran to grab Jeffrey when a man clothed all in black raced by and nearly pushed him down. Jeffrey looked up repulsed.

"_Bogg!_ That was Drake! He's going in hotel! We have to stop him!"

Jeffrey scurried through the hordes of guests fleeing the building.

"Jeffrey! _No!_ Get back here! Jeffrey!"

Phineas shoved past hundreds of terrified people. The ground quaked harder and he slid from his wet boots and tripped. The omni flew out of his hand and disappeared in the stampede. It was their only means to escape from the calamity that would become known as, _The Great Earthquake.'_

"_Bat's breath!"_ He swore. This was no time to worry about it; he had to save his kid before the entire hotel collapsed. "Jeffrey! Where are you?"

Phineas caught up to him in the dazzling _Garden Court Dining Hall_. The boy rushed to apprehend Drake by the stairwell. The gilded chandeliers swayed precariously and one dropped, followed by another. Soon, all the chains snapped and they crashed to the floor and showered everyone with jagged shards of crystal. Phineas dove beneath a table and lay low until the last one fell.

"Jeffrey! Don't move! I'm coming!"

Jeffrey took cues from his partner and hid under a table. He seized the base as the rumbling slowed and waved his hand out.

"I'm right here, Bogg! _Hurry!"_

In the meanwhile, Drake accosted a large, swarthy man trying to make a hasty exit and pinned him against the wall. The man trembled and and clutched a photo of Theodore Roosevelt to his heart.

"What are you doing, Drake? Let him go, now!" Phineas demanded.

"No! Don't you remember our goals, Bogg? _I _make sure history goes wrong! _You_ try and protect its course! _Not this time!"_

Phineas lunged at the rogue Voyager and shoved him into the stairs. The man escaped his clutches and Jeffrey reached for his arm.

"Quick! I'll help you out!"

"_Grazie! Grazie! _I will _never, ever_ sing in this dreadful city again! Everything is destroyed! Our props! Our costumes! All gone!_"_ The man moaned as he followed Jeffrey.

Phineas cornered Drake and punched him in the stomach. Drake doubled over and tried to grab for his omni to make an escape. The quaking started again for a twenty-second aftershock and they both tumbled. Phineas seized Drake's collar and yanked him across the dining area.

"I should push you through the fault line!" He seethed, but continued to help his nemesis to safety. "But I'm not a killer like you."

Phineas spotted Jeffrey covered in dust. He cowered under the hotel awnings; it seemed to be the safest building in the area and the only one that held up.

"Jeff, are you alright?"

"I'm okay!"

"Who was that other guy?"

"That was Enrico Caruso! He was one of the most famous Italian Opera singers in the world. He just ran off to catch a boat…" Jeffrey pointed at the panicked streets and shivered.

Phineas was disturbed that a grown man would leave a child to die, but let it go. History needed to play out the right way. He glared at Drake.

"This loser will try to ruin lives and the past anywhere he can, _won't he?"_

"Get off of me, Voyager Bogg!" Drake struggled under his iron like grip. "You're too late! I accomplished what I came here for, Caruso was just an afterthought!"

"Bogg! _Come on!_ We gotta get out of here! Where's the omni?" Jeffrey demanded.

"Jeff, _I lost it!_ I fell and dropped it! It must be trampled by now!"

The buildings crumbled to the ground around them. Women and children screamed and cries of pain and death rang in their ears but they had to ignore it. The air thickened with black smoke as the start of the devastating four-day fires began.

Drake laughed and sneered. "Figures you'd lose it, you imbecile."

"Shut up, Drake, or I'll drop you on the Titanic!" Phineas warned.

Jeffrey snatched Drake's silver omni off his belt and clutched Phineas' arm. "We'll use his! We gotta green light and we gotta go!"

He pushed the activator button on the top and they all soared through the cosmos.


	2. Auction Briefing

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 2: Auction Briefing**

**The Castle briefing room in _Orange Orange_, 2008**

_"…Wilhelm Julian is considered a mad-scientist of sorts, a tinkerer. His last venture left him nearly bankrupt."_

"What was he tinkering?" Chuck asked. "I haven't heard that word in a long time. It's kinda cute. Reminds me of Gepetto or something." He resisted the urge to imitate a marionette when Casey elbowed him hard.

Beckman's mouth twitched annoyed. _"Julian tried to manipulate the elements, but hardly succeeded. The man's a lunatic that constantly uses dated methods. He's been of little consequence in the past few years since he appeared on our radar."_

"So what's his game now, General?" Casey wondered.

General Diane Beckman stared at her team stonily. _"We have reason to believe he's creating incendiary technology for the purpose of generating man-made earthquakes."_

Chuck's eyes widened. A strong notion came to him and he raised his hand.

"Yes, little _Chuckie?_ This isn't kindergarten." Casey scoffed. "Say what you gotta say."

Sarah sighed and held Chuck's arm gently. "What is it? You usually have great brainstorms."

"Thanks, Sarah. I just thought that Julian is involved in this auction and it's being held in honor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. What if he plans on _recreating _that event? Do you realize how much more devastating that could be? That fault line is already weakened as it is."

"Nice one, Bartowski. That guess is as good as any." Casey mused.

"That's right, Chuck. It's strange how there's barely any intel on this guy." Sarah said.

Beckman coughed for their attention. _"The auction is being held tonight at the Palace Hotel at 9:00pm. I want you three to attend and see what else Chuck might flash on. Work out the particulars for yourselves. I expect a report in the morning."_

Beckman switched off her monitor and Chuck clapped his hands enthusiastically.

"_Okay!_ I already considered this…what if I go in as _Charles Carmichael _looking to procure certain antiques?"

"Not bad, Bartowski. You and Sarah can attend as prospective buyers." Casey said.

"Yes, then whatever you flash on, you bid on. I'll be your backup bidder, because there will be other attendees in the race. So either way, we'll procure the object and figure out what his plans are." Sarah smiled at him.

Chuck gazed at her affectionately. Sarah supported his ideas as much as she could. Casey noticed their wandering googly eyes and rapped the table.

"Don't be hasty, Bartowski, and don't get off track. The Government will not be paying for your sudden fancy to own Edison's phonograph."

"Got it, Casey! So…what will you be doing? Waiter? Bartender? Or the usual, _Chauffeur?_"

Casey smirked. "None of the above, I'm the _auctioneer."_

Chuck laughed. "No way! Casey, auctioning is an art. It takes skill, finesse…"

"Excuse me? _What_. _Did. You. Say?_" Casey inched forward and Chuck backed up delicately. Casey laughed inwardly. That intimidation tactic _never _failed.

"_Uhh_…I said, _sure!_ Not that you don't have _finesse_…but…you know what I mean. Can you even recite Betty Botter? All auctioneers know that one."

Casey rolled his eyes and stood at smug attention. _"Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter–that would make my batter better._ _So, she bought some better butter, better than the bitter butter. And she baked it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter. So 'twas better Betty Botter bought some better butter."_

Chuck and Sarah stared amazed, his voice resonated smooth as silk and he never stumbled over one word. He never failed to surprise them.

"Is that good enough? I can also recite _Peter Piper _and _She sells seashells?_ Backwards even._"_

Chuck waved his hands. _"No, no_…you're good, Casey. I hope everything will be okay."

Sarah nodded serious. "I think so, we've been through much worse. Just pay close attention to whatever Casey holds up, he'll make sure to direct it your way first. We'll be there early so he can set up and we can get good seats close to the front. I'll make all the arrangements now. Don't be nervous, we're only there to bid and flash…_unless _things get out of hand."

Casey grimaced as he remembered the poison gas that nearly killed him a few months ago. But that wasn't half as frightening as the fact that Chuck _kissed_ him because he imagined he could supply the antidote with his saliva. It took Casey two days of downing scotch on the rocks and half a bottle of Listerine to fully get over it. He gripped Chuck's shoulder tight.

"That's right, Chuck. This part of the mission should be no muss, no fuss, and _all Intersect_, don't screw it up!"


	3. Frantic Bidding

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 3: Frantic bidding**

Inside the van, Sarah adjusted the front of her sleek, black dress and pushed a few stray curls out of Chuck's eyes. She still couldn't convince him to try a push back style with his mussy curls. Casey turned and Chuck let out a loud laugh.

"I'm loving that caterpillar! Very _John_ _Moschitta, _are you gonna sell me Micro-machines and Fed-Ex products too?"

Casey grunted and smoothed out the bushy, dark mustache. He put on a pair of wire-rimmed, gold glasses and fixed the side part in his matching toupee.

"Don't get too cocky, ace! Just focus on the antiques, not my disguise." He grumbled.

Casey climbed out of the van. "Give me ten minutes to get situated, and then make your entrance. I don't want them to suspect this is a snow job…cause _it is_. Let's keep this quick and easy." He picked up his briefcase and hurried to the Hotel entrance.

"We can't come in together, Chuck. I stay on the left, and you stay on the right." Sarah reminded him.

"I don't see why Charles Carmichael can't have a lovely date on his arm?" Chuck complained.

"This is a spur of the moment auction. Carmichael wouldn't drag his dates down here. I already made the reservations that way."

"How did you do that?"

"I called twice, the second time with an Aussie accent and said I was Carmichael's secretary."

Chuck looked at her confused. "Don't they ask for credentials or anything?"

"I got that covered. Your Carmichael identity worked so well for the NSA and CIA, they decided to give you a 'Second Life' so to speak…oh, by the way, here's your ID."

Sarah rifled in her purse and pulled out a classy black leather wallet with a driver's license designed for 'Charles Carmichael,' and a current address in Yorba Linda, California.

Chucked examined it. "I always wondered how that half lives, do I have a swimming pool?"

Sarah chuckled. "You have your own sauna, a private gym…and all those other goodies you once told me about. The NSA and CIA bought and secured Carmichael a mansion if the future need arises, but it's only for emergencies."

_"Woah! _I hope they remembered Carmichael loves boats. He keeps his yachts on private islands." He grinned.

"Right, and maybe he owns one or two islands. Now you go in first, I won't be far behind."

**~Oo~**

After Chuck made it safely inside, Sarah calmly strode through the lobby and pretended to admire the gold furnishings. Her heel caught a snag in the plush carpet and she fell forward without warning. She almost landed on her knees, but a man practically dove to catch her. He clutched her arms and helped her up.

"That would not have been fun, are you hurt, miss?" He asked concerned. "Do you need medical attention?"

Sarah was struck by the richness of his deep voice. She glanced at him and wondered if he saw her heart pounding through her dress. His bright blue-eyed gaze looked her up and down. He had wavy, dirty blonde hair, and his trim, but very muscular build filled a sharp, navy suit. She had to admit he was one of the handsomest men she had ever seen. He slid his hands up and down her arms reassuringly and she her cheeks warmed. He dropped his hands politely and gave her a large, breezy smile. Her stomach fluttered.

"No, no, I'm fine. Not a scratch on me. Good catch…_Mr.?"_

_"_Phineas…_Phineas Bogg_. And you are?"

"Just call me Sarah."

"May I have the honor of escorting you in, Sarah? Perhaps we can sit next to each other?" He gently grasped her elbow.

Sarah glimpsed a mop haired boy in a retro red and white striped rugby shirt and brown jeans watching them from the end of the dining hall. He was a cute Italian looking kid with a street-smart edge, but the precociousness seeped out of him. He rolled his eyes at Phineas as if to say, _'Here we go again.'_

Sarah smirked and graciously pulled away from Phineas. "I appreciate that, Mr. Bogg, but I can find my own way and someone is already saving my seat. Thanks again for catching me."

"Oh…sure. Feel free to fall anytime." He said.

She controlled her laughter upon seeing his crestfallen face; it reminded her of a wounded puppy. She felt tempted to change her mind, but then caught Chuck staring from his seat. He looked just as unsettled as the boy. She strolled away, then turned to give the attractive Mr. Bogg a flirty little wave as she disappeared through the main doors.

Phineas sighed and glumly kicked at the carpeting as Jeffrey approached.

"Bogg, I think _she_ was the prettiest blonde you've ever met!"

"No kidding. Probably one of the prettiest women I've ever seen period. I think I still have a chance."

"Bogg, we got more important things to do, like get the _omni!"_

"Yeah, I know, _I know!_ One of these days you'll understand."

"Yeah, right." Jeffrey smirked.

"I can't wait till that day comes. I saw her look your way, did you give her one of your eye rolls or something? Because she was immediately turned off."

Jeffrey shrugged. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're a smart kid that gives me a pain!"

Jeffrey ignored the comment, Phineas always told him that in one way or another. "How long is this auction gonna be? I'm hungry. Bobby said bid as much as we want so we can get back into the field. He said once you have it, turn the dial counterclockwise and push the globe. It will automatically reactivate from the Omnibus. He also warned that you better get it serviced before it conks out for the last time. That model 313 is ancient."

"I don't remember him saying all that."

"You would if you weren't too busy flirting with Susan at the Courthouse."

"Ah, whatever. I got it. I'm glad Headquarters stepped in. The circuitry was strong enough for the Voyager Locator to track it. At least we got that scum Drake in prison. But he still won't say what he was up to in San Francisco. He really gets my goat!" Phineas made a fist.

"Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him. I just can't believe I'm in 2008, you know I would be like…_thirty-eight years old_ by now! That's older than you! I wonder if I'd be married with kids? I'd definitely want one of those Porsche cars outside, and I saw all these people walking and talking with tiny phones and no curly wires! That's like something out of Star Trek!"

"Never heard of Star Trek, but it's pretty amazing out there."

Phineas was a young pirate from the seventeenth century before hisVoyager calling. The flashy display of modern technologies impressed him. He never saw women more uncovered publicly in his lifetime. It enticed him and at the same time he wondered where the decorum and delightful sense of feminine mystery went.

The enigmatic Sarah exuded class and grace with her willowy figure, almond shaped turquoise eyes, and silky blonde hair. He wondered if the jealous guy watching was her husband. She didn't wear a wedding band. He dropped the matter and patted Jeffrey's back.

"Look, it's close to nine, I better get my seat. I can't wait to get out of this monkey suit. You have my clothes?"

"Yes, one pirate outfit right in this backpack."

"Good, now just wait for me in the lobby or something…and stay out of trouble!"

"I will, _I will!_ I'll read some new magazines and see what's going on in the world today. But make sure you win it, Bogg! Too bad you can't just take it."

"That would be stealing, Jeff."

"No it won't, it's yours."

"But these people don't know that. Besides, that auctioneer looks like he'd pound me if I looked at him cross-eyed. I'm not short, but he's huge!"

Jeffrey laughed. "What, you think he'd twirl you around over his head and toss you like that Roman Gladiator did in the arena?"

"Yeah, something like that, he'd probably growl like him too."

**~Oo~**

Chuck's knees shook and he kept slapping them with his paddle. Sarah looked gorgeous seated across from him. She kept her focus on the tables. Chuck finally sat back and planted his feet firmly on the floor. The people around him grew irritated with his nervous antics and shushed him. He saw Wilhelm Julian talking to Casey by the curtain. Julian didn't look pleased when he observed Casey. But nobody was ever pleased when they actually met the gruff Agent. Chuck still tried to make sense of the flash.

Seeing Julian in the authentic old photograph struck him as awkward. Chuck wondered if he would flash on _anything_ tonight. The antiques were only remnants of a bygone age. He turned in his seat and noticed the man Sarah chatted with rush inside and take a seat in the last row. He wondered what Mr. GQ wanted from this auction, perhaps a trinket from his Scandinavian ancestors.

Casey stepped up to the podium and the auction began.

**~Oo~**

Over an hour into the auction Chuck yawned so loudly that Sarah and other bidders glared at him to knock it off. Casey gave him daggers behind his round glasses. He showed off mounds of crock-pots, books, jewelry, boring paintings of nature, The other bidders threw away hundreds and sometimes thousands for them.

One couple won a stove that reached four thousand dollars and Chuck thought that the bread she baked better have gold shavings in the crust. Casey, though impatient, did a fine and convincing job. He tried his best to point out the more aesthetic details of each item. Chuck glanced behind again, curious to see how Mr. GQ fared. The man's arms crossed tight over his chest and his eyelids drooped. All he needed was a pillow.

"Next up for auction is a very _rare_ piece, recovered right here from the ruins outside of the _original _Palace Hotel. It's a lightweight, polished brass compass of sorts, with a clip to attach to your belt. A mysterious message is engraved on front under the 'V', _Time waits for no man._ The origins are uncertain, but the original line may have come from a short Medieval morality play called _Everyman_. And it is the character 'Death' that utters these words –_"For wete you well __the tyde abydeth no man. _Later translations eventually changed it to – _Time and the tides wait for no man._"

Casey opened the compass under the podium. The red light buzzed and startled him. When he observed it earlier, the lights were dark even after he fiddled with the knobs and dials. Wilhelm might have changed the bulb. He knew immediately this thing was no ordinary dials were inundated with tiny dates and years and stopped at 1970. The incessant beeping grated his nerves, so he held it up closed.

"I will start the bidding at… _two hundred dollars_."

Chuck bristled. As he gazed at the polished V on the cover, his eyelids lowered and his state of mind went blank. Casey observed that the young man in the rear who practically slept the whole time was suddenly wide-awake, and his paddle shot into the air first.

"_Now we're on to something." _Case thought.

"I have 200, do I have 225? Give me 225, I have 225, give me 250, 250, I have 250, do I hear 275, 275, do I have 300?"

Chuck's flash carried on. It was his longest one yet. He saw images of a man dressed as a pirate and breaking into a boy's room to save himself from falling off the skyscraper. It was Mr. GQ of all people. The boy fell out of the broken window and the man dove after him, Next they ran from turn of the century airplanes and the man was raced with a hang-glider. Chuck kept seeing the compass, the lights inside blinked red and green at different times. The man and dodged bombs and the boy saved him from being burned at the stake. A smattering of hundreds of images from all eras of the past flitted across his mind. The man and boy constantly saved others, and each other. Chuck saw a black book with the name _Phineas Bogg_ embossed on the lower right corner and the flash ended in a burst of cosmos.

Chuck threw his paddle up as Casey reached the seven hundred mark. Casey kept raising the amount. He signaled Sarah to get in the game.

"Do I hear _eight hundred,_ there's never been a device like this before…One wonders how the other light turns on? What is the meaning of the V? Is it an initial? Perhaps a _secret _code name or a secret society? do I see eight fifty? _Nine hundred?_ One thousand dollars, eleven hundred... _twelve hundred?"_

The stakes grew past five thousand until only Sarah, Chuck and the young man bid frantic. Casey devised an idea to let the man in the back win, and corner after he claimed his prize. Nothing could stop from lifting the paddle.

Phineas couldn't take it anymore, if he lost the omni now the secrets of the Voyagers would be compromised. Sarah and her jealous boyfriend wouldn't stop bidding, but then he noticed something strange. The auctioneer made a slight finger motion at Sarah and she dropped her paddle. Chuck did the same.

_What if they are thieves and con-men?_ He thought.

Phineas readied himself. When the auctioneer put the omni down, he threw his paddle to the floor and sprinted from his seat like a marathon runner. Without slowing up, he reached across the table and snatched the omni in a drastic measure he knew he would regret later.

"This is _mine!_ I have to go!"

Casey leaped over the table with Chuck and Sarah at his heels. Wilhelm wiped his brow and tried to calm the audience. Phineas ran through the dining hall yelling at Jeffrey to move it. They rushed to a secluded area of the parking garage and the trio on them. Jeffrey made it ahead of Phineas.

"Jeffrey! They're thieves! _Catch!"_

Phineas tossed the omni over. Jeffrey nearly caught it, but Casey shoved him aside out of nowhere and caught it first. Phineas went to attack and Sarah pummeled into him and threw him roughly on the gravel. Sarah turned him on his stomach and twisted his arms up behind his back. She pulled a pistol from off a holster on her thigh. Phineas ceased struggling when he felt the muzzle in his back.

"_Oww!_ _Hey!_ There's no need for that! You don't understand! That's _my_ property! Sarah, please, let's talk about this!"

"_Right! _I'm sure you owned it in 1906!" Her temper softened when he used her name, but she didn't let him free.

Casey grabbed Jeffrey and held him back from helping his friend. "Walker! I got the kid! Keep the gun on the Ken doll, I don't trust him!…_Arrrgh!_ Hold still you rug rat!"

Jeffrey struggled and elbowed him in the gut. He swung his backpack and whacked him in the head. Casey grunted and leaned forward. He tossed the bag across the lot. They began a tug of war for the omni.

Chuck ran between the scuffle and waved his hands. "_Wait! Wait!_ Ken doll was in my flash! They both were! He's a Voyager and that thing is an omni. It's a time machine and we _have _to talk to them! Don't kill the kid, Casey!" He gasped.

"Let it go you big jerk!" Jeffrey yelled.

"Learn some manners you little punk!" Casey retorted.

Phineas looked on in horror. "_No Jeff!_ Let him have it! It's activated! You'll hit the…"

Phineas' warning went unheeded. Sarah slid off Phineas' back astonished. Chuck covered his mouth dazed and wandered around in the spot where Casey and Jeffrey instantly disappeared.

**A/N: **_'Bobby' is a non-canon OC from my Voyagers stories and I created him as head of the 'Omni Control Center' at Voyager Headquarters… that will be referred to as 'VHQ' in the story._


	4. Mastermind of the future

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 4: Mastermind of the future**

Chuck laughed nervously and yanked his hair. "Did you see that? _Did you see that!_ They're gone! Obliterated!" Chuck ran to Phineas and pulled him up. He shook him by the collar.

"Where did they go Ken doll, _huh?_ Tell us what's going on here!"

Phineas shrugged himself out of Chuck's grip aggravated. "First of all, the name's _Phineas._ But you already seem to know that. In fact, you seem to know a lot. I'm sorry if I stole it, but the omni is _my_ property!"

Chuck looked at him bewildered. "Didn't you hear what I just said? Your boy and Casey disappeared! _Poof! Gone!_ Don't you care? What are you gonna do about it? Are they even alive?"

Phineas heaved his shoulders. "Yeah…they're alive."

Phineas dusted off his suit. He still reeled from Sarah's ambush. Despite the pains, he didn't mind the feel of a woman against him. Too many time zones had passed since, and an attack like _that_ certainly never occurred. The last time he squared off with a woman of Sarah's disposition was with Voyager Olivia Dunne on the Titanic, but she didn't jump him. Sarah didn't mess around, but he discerned a profound sensitivity in her that seemed to cry out for something positive and tangible in her life, like a little girl lost. Phineas suppressed his smile. These two demanded explanations.

"I heard you! Jeffrey knows how to work the omni like a pro; they could be back any minute now. Unless that _ogre_ you call Casey did anything to hurt him! _I swear,_ if he touches one curly hair on my kid's head…" Phineas seethed.

"I can't say that he _won't_." Chuck bluffed and checked his watch. "A minute passed, Mr. Time traveler, so where are they?"

"After they land and catch their bearings, Jeffrey has to make sure the omni isn't red."

"And if it is?" Sarah asked.

"Then they are not leaving the time zone until history is made correct again, that's the Voyager code." Phineas explained.

Sarah put the pistol back in her holster. "Look Phineas, Casey is rough, but he won't deliberately hurt Jeffrey. Chuck, you said you flashed on the device and saw Phineas _and_ Jeffrey, right?"

"Yes, I really don't know what I saw, it was like he said…different eras of time. Craziest flash _evah!_"

Phineas tossed up his hands. "Whatever you saw is because the omni is a _time-travel_ device and I'm a Voyager. I was plucked out of my own time and trained to travel through the ages." Phineas decided to give them the very simple explanation. "When the omni is red, it means history is wrong…our job is to get everything back on track. When it's fixed, the light turns green and we move on to the next mission."

Chuck laughed in disbelief. "That's _it?_ That's the whole _Voyager _secret? It sounds like a lame TV show from when I was a kid in the eighties! I think it was called 'Time Warpers' or something. Yeah, it only lasted a season. I liked it. But it botched the real history so many times and…"

Phineas wanted to bop him on the head. "Yes, that's _it, _Chuck! I don't care what it sounds like, that's it in a nutshell. I'd like to know who you people are. You're obviously _not_ plucky auction bidders, unless it's a common practice for men to have brain sorcery and women to carry violent weapons under their dresses in the 21st century!"

Sarah stepped in before a real fight erupted. She extended her arms to keep them at bay. "Guys, we need to go somewhere and discuss this…_calml_y and _rationally._ Phineas, we'll tell you who we are and why we want the omni, if you tell us more about Voyagers. Maybe there's a way we can help each other. Right now we have to."

"I can't leave, Sarah. If Jeffrey comes back…"

_"_Jeffrey is with Casey, and Casey knows exactly where to go when they come back here. Chuck, we're going to your house and I don't want to hear any more nonsense."

She stared them both down until they twisted their ties and collars shamefaced. "That goes for _both of you. Now move it_!" Sarah stormed to the surveillance van.

Phineas stared after her and grinned until Chuck snapped for his attention. "Oh…_uhh_…that's quite a woman you got there, Chuck. Quite a woman."

"That's right, but she's _nobody's_ woman…that's for sure." Chuck murmured.

"Why do you say that? I think she really has it bad for ya." Phineas said defeated. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and put his hands in his pockets.

"It doesn't matter who feels what. Sarah's CIA, she's undercover. I don't even know her _real _name…let's just say the relationship is very complicated…if there even _is_ a relationship."

"I think I can relate to that." Phineas offered some empathy. "Being a Voyager, you're never in one place for any length of time. You can't make too many attachments, because it can completely mess up history…and even if it doesn't, you can't linger too long. House rules. It's a pretty lonely existence. Sometimes I don't know where I'd be without Jeffrey, he keeps me sane and grounded, ya know?"

"I guess I do. I feel that way too…_minus_ the fixing history part, traveling through time…you and Jeffrey sound like Batman and Robin."

"Whoever they are. Listen, Chuck…I'm _not_ a bad person, I just want to know what's going on here."

Chuck looked him over. Phineas didn't pose a threat. "I believe you, and you'll get your answers."

Sarah drew open the van door and pulled them inside. "You can continue the male bonding later, we have leave before we draw a crowd."

As they drove off, they didn't notice a tall, thin man intently observing the scene from behind Hotel corner. He wandered out of the shadows and grimaced. The omni was not functional when he procured it. The mysterious man Drake who brought him to this modern era convinced him of that. He sensed that his plans were going to be thwarted again, but he intended on carrying them through to the end.

This present was horrid; mankind fell in love with the prospects of the future in his century, the early twentieth century. They made ultimate sacrifices to machines of convenience. They always laughed at his 'wacky' inventions like thermal airships and unique hydrogen filled blimps. Once he came to the 21st Century he discovered that his ideas were stolen and patented by greedy, uninspired inventors and wicked foreign countries for use in terrible world wars. The people chose to build monotonous machinery that reduced humanity to a conveyor belt of sweatshops and slummy doldrums. He was ecstatic when the earthquake hit in 1906, he thought it would finally bring some of them to their senses. It didn't.

It was the same today. People behaved as slaves to their televisions and computers, phones and radios and were completely out of touch with reality. It was time to show them that Wilhelm Julian is a force to be reckoned with. The new destruction would bring them to their knees and they would look to him for guidance. They would look to him to be the _Mastermind of the Future_.


	5. Give me Liberty

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 5: Give me Liberty**

Casey landed hard on his back and rolled over, only to receive a mouthful of salty grass. He groaned and pulled himself up as he spat it out. He glanced up at a cloudy, daylight sky. The area smelled of seawater. He shook his head wearily and yanked off the glasses and fake mustache hanging on the edge his chin. The wig fell off somewhere in outer space. He remembered grappling for the compass with the kid, and in the next instant, the colors of the universe exploded around him. It occurred in a blink of the eye and he still had the device in his hands. Chuck called it an _omni._

Casey guessed right about the seawater. He _was_ on an island; only not in the beautiful Bahamas. The air chilled him.

"This is…this is _New York!_ What the hell? Where are all the skyscrapers?" He gazed around fast. He didn't see airplanes or cars, or even floppy hat tourists snapping pictures. All was eerily quiet, save for the water lapping against the pier and…

He suddenly remembered he didn't take this cosmic trip alone.

"Where's the bratty kid?"

Casey heard a boy's cries and whipped around. Somehow they separated. The boy bobbed frantically in the water fifty feet away.

"Help me! _Please help me!"_ Jeffrey begged, falling under.

Casey gasped. A giant schooner sailed in the boy's direction and created rough wakes that tossed him under when he tried to swim. He would never make it out of its path. Casey looked at the device.

"This thing better be waterproof! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Casey clipped it on his belt loop and shrugged out of the suit jacket. He tore the tie off his neck and sprinted across the wooden pier. He took a clean dive into the freezing water.

"Oh my God, that's cold!"

Casey swam toward with powerful strokes, allowing himself to be partially carried by the buoyancy of the ripples and waves.

"I'm almost there! Try to stay afloat, keep swimming toward me!" Casey called out.

"I'm trying! Hurry!"

The wind lapped the sails and metal clanged less than a yard away, but Jeffrey shivered from head to toe and his arms weighed his body down like lead. The bells jangled and sailors shouted from the bow. They saw him, but they couldn't slow down fast enough. Jeffrey threw himself at Casey. The desperate move afforded him a few feet, but his arms failed him and he sank.

"_No! Damn!"_

Casey sucked in a long breath and ducked underwater. His vision was clouded beneath the murk and he waved his arms around, hoping to grab for something. His hand brushed against cloth and he tugged for the rest of the boy's chest. He wrapped his arm over him, but he had to swim away underwater as the boat passed over. The boy kept alert, and thankfully knew better than to drag him down in fits of panic. Casey rapidly kicked up and they surfaced. Jeffrey heaved mouthfuls of air and draped himself over Casey.

Casey patted Jeffrey's back so he could cough up more water. "It's _alright, _kid. The boat's gone…_we made it_…come on, we gotta get to the Island. Get on my back and hold tight…it's faster."

"Ok…okay…tha…thanks."

Jeffrey entwined his arms over his neck and chest and Casey swam briskly for the pier. When they made it to the edge, Casey lifted Jeffrey and pushed him onto the rotted planks. Jeffrey crawled to the middle and collapsed. Casey stumbled to his side on his knees.

"Nice going, kid. Does this happen all the time?" He choked.

Jeffrey scooted to a sitting position and rubbed his arms. He looked up at him crossly. "No, me and Bogg usually land together, I think you pushed me off you in the cosmos."

"Do you mind telling me where the heck we are?" Casey demanded. "It looks like New York, but it can't be_. _It's dead around here._"_

Jeffrey reached over and took the omni from Casey's belt. He opened it and shook out the water.

"We're in New York City. It's January, 10th 1887. We have a red light, so I have to figure out what's wrong here."

Casey wrung out his white dress shirt and it hung limp and wrinkled over his dark slacks. He hated wet clothes. He removed his socks and took off his shoes to slap water from them.

"No way! I'll tell _you_ what's _wrong,_ the fact that we just broke the laws of physics. We don't belong here, so set those dials and get us back to Burbank, 2008, right now!"

Casey tried to grab the omni. Jeffrey backed up. He clutched it against his chest.

"_No!_ You're not touching this thing again! This is what a Voyager does, if we don't fix the time zone, history will be altered forever. You're gonna have to play by my rules now."

"What the…?" Casey's jaw dropped. He stood to his full height and loomed over the boy. He raised his hand. "You little snot! Give me that thing! I have to get back to Chuck and Sarah!"

Jeffrey clipped the omni to his pants waist and moved away. "And I left Bogg behind too! I…" Jeffrey's eyes welled up with tears and he stomped around in a mini fit.

"No! I'm so _stupid!_ We can't be stuck!"

Casey grabbed his shoulders. If there was anything he hated more than precocious kids, it was _crying,_ precocious kids.

"Stop sniffling, dammit! _I'm _the one that should be hysterical, but it's not my nature, now tell me what you mean by that. Are we really stuck here?"

Jeffrey glared at him. It impressed Casey that Jeffrey wasn't intimidated by him, but that was the folly of youth.

"You big idiot! If you hadn't grabbed the omni from me, none of this would've happened! _You_ hit the activator!"

"I did not!"

"Did too! I know better! You don't even know where the activator is."

Casey was foiled. "Forget that! We're here already, so why are you sniveling?"

"Bogg's omni only has circuits up to 1970, we were _sent_ to 2008 on a special mission from Voyager Headquarters to get it back. I travel with Bogg because he landed in 1982 and saved my life…we were stuck together, then I found out I was supposed to be Voyager…but _still!_ I can't get us back to 2008 and it's all your fault!"

Casey held his head. Everything had to be a mistake, but there was no mistaking their surroundings. He resisted the urge to shake him.

"You should have just let me have it, you _brat!_ I was going to let him win the auction, but he had to play The Flash and steal it! You and the Ken doll could have just told us what all this is the hell about! _Amateurs!_"

"It's not like you would have listened to us anyway! That chick you were with almost shot Bogg! That's his name, _Phineas Bogg, _so use it! If he's a Ken doll, then you're a dumb G.I. Joe with an over sized body and small head!" Jeffrey retorted.

Casey growled at him and marched further onto the island. The burned out, deserted land seemed vaguely familiar.

"This is Bedloe Island. But where is she?"

Casey remembered from history books that the island was used as a military base during the early wars of the 19th century. It was most famously the home of the Statue of Liberty. He couldn't remember when it was built and shipped to the U.S. It might be too early in history. He looked at the boy with a twinge of sympathy.

Jeffrey hung back on the pier and gazed at the water. He choked on his sobs. He didn't want to be stuck in history with this mean brute. The man saved his life, but he was not Bogg. Phineas called Jeffrey a toad and treated him callously on their first meeting, but he gradually warmed up to being as close as father and son. Jeffrey did not expect to go through all that with Casey. He saw Casey watching and glumly wiped his eyes as he walked over. The man did not cater to weepy displays. Jeffrey stood as tall as he could, which wasn't much compared to the giant. He looked him in the eye and spoke decisively.

"I'm sorry. You saved me and I shouldn't be mean to you. Maybe there's a way to get you home, but right now I don't know how and we have to fix the red light. _Please,_ Mr. …_Casey_…"

Casey folded his arms and attempted to smile.

"That's much better. You have to buck up, kid. As long as you have this…_omni_…_thing_, you're on a mission. Your superiors at this Voyager Headquarters are counting on you to follow through, regardless of the situation or whom you're with. There's no room for reactivity, Voyagers have to be proactive and take responsibility for their actions and meet them! I can tell _that_ much about the job. The fate of the universe is in your hands, but I guess that's a pretty tough calling for a twelve-year old."

Casey suddenly thought of Chuck. Before being thrust into a world of crazy espionage, Chuck practically lived the existence of a twelve-year old with his video games and boyish antics with his equally immature friend, Morgan Grimes. In a way, this boy Jones reminded him of the nerd. Chuck held a firm sense of values and used his brains and wits to help him and Sarah out of some precarious missions. Casey imagined the kid did the same for the flake of partner _he _had.

Jeffrey cocked his head and forced a smile. They weren't going to be the best of friends, but they could at least try to be civil toward each other. He held out his hand.

"I'm Jeffrey Jones."

Casey shook it manly. "I'm Major John Casey, NSA, you can just call me Casey." He pulled out his soaked wallet and badge to prove it.

"_Wow!_ _The National Security Agency!_ No wonder you're so rough on us! You must have thought we were spies! _Awesome!"_

The glare of admiration in the child's eyes struck Casey as funny. The boy traveled to the ends of the universe and back with a time machine, but he was enthralled with the fact that Casey worked for the U.S. Government. He stifled a laugh.

"Okay, Jeffrey, I know we're on Bedloe Island, but my instincts tell me something is wrong right here."

"Well, the light's red so you're right. Let's walk around, maybe we'll…_wait a minute_…" Jeffrey checked the omni to see the year again. "I know what it is! Look up! The Statue of Liberty is not here! That has to be it! I'm a New Yorker; I've visited her a million times. The statue was shipped as a present from France on the fourth of July last year and was officially inaugurated on October 28th 1886."

"Not bad, kid. I see you're the brains on these missions."

Jeffrey wanted to reply, but held his tongue. Phineas didn't know much about history, and although he was bright and resourceful, he slacked off in Voyager School. It didn't help matters that when Phineas found Jeffrey, he also lost his Guidebook. But if Phineas continued to fight the dog Ralph for it, Jeffrey would have been chopped meat all over pavement.

Casey's gaze traveled across the expanse of the island and he finally saw it. In the center of the island lay the destroyed and twisted remains of something _huge_ and _copper_. A large pile of rubble blocked his view. Jeffrey ran over and clutched his arm.

"_Oh no_…that's her! What happened?"

"Let's _find out_…" Casey stammered.

Casey swallowed his fears. He couldn't imagine a world without the Statue of Liberty and her image. He wondered about the heinous act committed and it wasn't a rampaging alien dinosaur. At least he hoped not.

"This is the work of terrorists. Gotta be." He muttered.

"You must deal with terrorists a lot, working in the NSA." Jeffrey said.

"You better believe it. All kinds."

It overwhelmed Casey's mind to be in an _altered_ history. He didn't want the kid see him at a loss. He needed to bravely accept that time travel existed and follow through with a deliberate course of action.

They rushed to the center of the island, but Casey pulled Jeffrey back sternly. "_Don't_ go any further, it's too dangerous."

Jeffrey saw what he meant. Mounds of sharp, twisted copper and debris lay strewn about. He jumped in fright when he looked to his left. The morose face of Lady Liberty lay smashed against the ground on its side. The points of her crown bent in all directions. Her massive body lay draped across half of the island and the torch was rent apart. The statue's metal framework protruded from her middle in jagged pieces like mutilated rib bones.

The entire area smelled rank. Jeffrey gaped at the debris and swallowed down bile. "Casey, there's…people still here. Look…body parts and…" He couldn't finish his sentence and his stomach flip-flopped.

"That's disgusting. They didn't even have time to bury the dead." Casey said grimly. "Something's very wrong."

Jeffrey tried not to cry, but his quivering shoulders betrayed him. Casey drew him closer protectively.

"Don't even look, kid. It's nasty."

Jeffrey walked away and Casey followed.

"This is a Charlton Heston moment if there ever was one! Those damn, dirty…_anyway_…what happens now?" Casey asked.

Jeffrey looked up sullen, but a renewed zeal sparked in his brown eyes. "Now we find out when and how this happened…and how _we_ can stop it."


	6. Q & A

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 6: Q & A**

Chuck, Sarah, and Phineas walked through the courtyard and Chuck fumbled for his keys. Phineas lagged behind. The vines and bushes entwined with little white lights created an enchanting scene and it was made perfect by a stone fountain in the center. It wasn't often he came this far into the future, and the conveniences astounded him. He felt given time, he could get very used to living in the modern world.

Sarah explained what it meant to be C.I.A. Phineas refrained from showing amazement that a woman could hold such a high position in the United States. Truthfully, he didn't want to start a verbal war on women's rights and grievances, it only gave him migraines. He thought of the ones he had with Voyager Olivia Dunne, but they argued mainly because she was an overachiever and they were once class rivals. Beautiful Voyager Susan came to mind. She was an esteemed lawyer for the Voyager courts.

"_I guess it's not so crazy Sarah's a spy after all."_ Phineas thought.

Chuck flicked on the hall light and found his sister Ellie and her fiancé Devon canoodling on the couch. Sarah crept backwards out the doorway and Phineas peeked in with a smile. Ellie's eyes popped open and she jumped off Devon. She jabbed him in the ribs to cool down as he nibbled at her ear.

_"Hi…hi…hi_…Chuck! Home so soon?"

"_Yep…yep…yep_…sis! I thought you would be out for the night?"

"I had to work late so we had dinner home and…" Ellie noticed Phineas in the foyer and straightened up. She fixed her hair and adjusted her blouse higher. Devon strolled over and patted Chuck's back, then held out his hand to Phineas.

"Hey, Chuck, whose your new friend? Have we met? I could swear we were jogging buddies in Malibu."

Phineas shook his hand. "_Uhh…no…_never been there. What country is that?"

Devon laughed. "That's funny. Malibu, the city. Are you _sure, _dude? I remember chilling with this handsome blonde guy and he said he lived in a trailer with some illegal Mexicans, but I didn't seem him after that day though." Devon shook his head. "I mean, he was a great guy, but the dude was _el cheapo_… no payo el rento…ya know? I think he was slumming."

Chuck sighed. "I'm sure you _never_ met him, Awesome. Phineas, this is my soon to be brother-in-law, Devon Woodcomb, whom we _fondly_ call, Captain Awesome. Both he and my sisters are Doctors. Devon, this is Phineas Bogg."

"Cool, man. I like that name, reminds me of a book I read in Junior High."

Phineas knew he referred to _Around the world in Eighty days.'_After helping a young Jules Verne out of brawl in France, Phineas was honored to find out Verne later used his name as inspiration for his world-traveling hero, 'Phileas Fogg.'

"It's a pleasure, Devon. My parents loved Jules Verne books."

"_Ahh,_ that's the guy! Awesome, dude."

Phineas stared warmly at Ellie; she was an extremely attractive brunette. Ellie bit her lip and returned his smile.

"I'm Eleanore…_Ellie_… we…we all live here…for the time being."

Sarah poked her head in and waved. "Hey everyone! You met my _cousin! _He just flew in, all the way from…"

_"Norway!"_

_"Hoboken, New Jersey!"_

Phineas and Chuck spouted places at the same time. They glared at each other and Chuck stammered.

"Well…_uhh_…there are…"

"A lot of _Norwegians_ in New Jersey, even though my side of the family stayed in Washington." Sarah finished with a sweet grin. "My aunt…Gret.._tel…_Gretel, is from Norway, so Phineas is first generation…_Er ikke det rett, Phineas?_" Sarah had a feeling he could respond in kind and he didn't let her down.

_"Fullstendig søskenbarna Sarah. Jeg er slik glad å besøke California!" _Phineas replied enthusiastically. His long-lost language rolled fluently off his tongue, though he rarely used it.

Ellie giggled. _"Wow!_ That's amazing!"

"Yes, Phineas adores Burbank." Sarah laughed. "He fits right in!"

Ellie nudged Chuck. "You didn't tell me Sarah was talented like that, or that she came from such a…handsome family." Ellie looked at Devon to stop herself from gawking at Phineas.

"That's true, we Scandinavians are hot, babe!" Devon flexed his muscles.

"I thought you were English, Devon?" Ellie remarked.

"I'm a melting pot of white goodness." Devon said glibly and Phineas laughed.

Chuck grew irritated and he didn't know why. "Well, I just found out myself about this mysterious cousin, Sarah's full of _pleasant _surprises…so…_Sarah…_" He strained a smile. "Maybe we should go somewhere…_else? _With frogurts_?"_

"Good idea, Chuck, I'm in the mood for one. Come on, Phineas. Let's leave the lovebirds alone."

"Oh, _absolutely._" Phineas couldn't resist, and gentlemanly brushed Ellie's hand with a quick kiss. _"Det var en glede som møter du, vakker Ellie, håper jeg til endag ser deg igjen."_

Sarah grunted and dragged him away. Ellie blushed furiously and rubbed her hand. _"Umm_…what did you say?"

"Well I said…"

"He _said,_" Sarah cut him off. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ellie." Sarah kept the rest to herself; Ellie didn't need to know that Phineas thought her beautiful and wanted to make sure he saw her again. She shoved him out the door. "Goodnight you two!"

At the fountain, Chuck looked at Phineas irately. "Didn't I say that my sister was _taken?"_

"I'm sorry. She's a very pretty woman, I was just being polite…_a gentlemen. _It's my nature."

"Well keep that nature to yourself, it's no wonder you haven't sowed your _nature _all over history!"

"What? I resent that remark."

"More like _resemble it."_ Chuck muttered and headed to the van. Sarah caught up to him.

"Chuck, _Chuck_…don't worry about it. If you ask me, I haven't met a guy more polite than Phineas in this day and age…well…except you…remember he's from a totally different time period. I don't think he meant real harm."

Chuck looked at the Voyager bewildered. "For someone who was once a pirate, you don't talk like one. What happened to all the _'arrrs!'_ and _'mateys'_ and lingo like that?"

"Well, Voyager School knocks that out of ya."

"That's why I picked Hoboken. You really don't sound 17th century."

"It wouldn't help traveling the different time zones… so, where are we going now?"

"The Orange Orange."

Phineas glanced at them wearily. On the drive from Chuck's home it occurred to him that all people wanted to do in this day and age was have fun.

"At the risk of sounding dumb, is that a pub? Because I don't drink."

Sarah nudged him into the van. "No, it's our secret base, the only drink you'll get is a fruit smoothie."

**~Oo~**

Phineas sipped his smoothie and observed all the hi-tech gadgets while Sarah and Chuck talked privately. He was impressed, but he noted that areas of Voyager Headquarters were even more advanced. He started to sense a betrayal. He eyed the staircase and carefully made his way to it.

"I say we give him the lie detector test, just as a precaution…and _before_ we talk to Beckman." Sarah whispered.

Chuck gazed at her. "Sarah, we've already compromised a whole lot by bringing him here."

"Chuck, it's the only way we'll get the absolute truth, it's obvious the Government knows something about _Voyagers_…since you flashed on his device. It's like a real mission."

Chuck tossed up his hands and laughed. "I'd say things became _very _obvious when Casey and that kid disappeared before our eyes, wouldn't you?"

Sarah wasn't paying attention; she wandered to Phineas and coyly put a hand on his back before he ascended.

"Hey, Phineas, why don't you come with me? I have a device that I'd really like you to see."

_"Uhh,_ sure."

Sarah led him to the chamber and poised him over the chair. Phineas looked at the straps and wires apprehensively and backed away.

"_Hey! _You're not putting me on that thing! I don't know what it is. I'm getting out of here!"

"No you're not!" Chuck bellowed and tried to block him.

Phineas shoved him aside and raced to the stairwell. Sarah jumped ahead of him and thrust her hands onto his chest.

"Phineas, it's _not_ going to hurt you, don't make this difficult!"

Phineas attempted to duck her, and Sarah motioned to kick him. Her leg shot toward his middle, but Phineas grabbed it and heaved her backwards. She allowed herself to fall down and glared at Chuck to stay put. She sniffled, and threw her face in her arms. After a moment she gazed up at Phineas teary-eyed. Phineas' face blanched when she massaged her back and cringed with pain. He slid alongside her.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, Sarah. I would never hurt a woman like that, but you attacked me. Please, let me help you."

Sarah was touched by his gentleness, but as soon as he leaned over she grabbed his arms and flipped him into the chamber. Phineas groaned and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm never going to believe a word you say again!" He fumed.

Sarah hit the lock on the chamber and the doors slid shut and enclosed them. "I'm not asking you to _believe _me, I'm asking you to _trust _me…_trust us_ and don't try and escape again, because the next time, I _will_ shoot."

"I'm sure you would…guns are the bane of man's existence! _Oww!"_

Sarah pushed Phineas down into the chair. "Chuck, strap his other arm."

Chuck sprinted over. Sarah was an expert and had Phineas half tacked to the chair before he could even collect his thoughts. Phineas decided not to struggle anymore. He was in a very awkward predicament, especially since their muscle had Jeffrey. He made fists and glared vehemently at them as Sarah placed the wires and attachments on his arms and head.

"I thought you were the good guys! What are you gonna do to me?"

"Just relax, Phineas. We _are_ the good guys, it's only a lie-detector test."

Phineas smiled humiliated. "Is that _all?_ Why didn't you just say so in the first place? I'll have you two know something, I _never_ lie!"

"Then there should be nothing to worry about." Sarah assured him and started up the processor.

Sarah knelt close him and tried to ease his fears. "I'm only going to ask you a series of _yes or no_ questions, so those are the answers you have to give me. Are you ready?"

Phineas' icy blue gaze cut to her heart, but she smiled softly to ease his tension. "Please, just relax…are you ready?"

"_Yes!"_

The machine beeped negative.

"So much for never lying." Chuck cut in. He leaned against the table. He pitied the confused pirate. Sarah rose and paced around Phineas.

"Okay, is your real name Phineas Bogg?"

_"Yes…why would I make up a name like that?"_

"Yes or no answers please, it will throw off the readings."

_"Yes."_

Are you from the future?"

_"No."_

"Are you from the past?"

_"Yes."_

"Did you choose to be a Voyager?"

_"Not exact…no."_

"Did they choose you?"

_"I suppose…yes."_

"Do you know why?"

_"Umm…no."_

Sarah cocked an eyebrow. "Okay, did they tell you why?"

_"sort of…"_ The machine buzzed and Phineas jumped. _"Yes."_

"Is the organization called, Voyager Headquarters?"

_"Yes."_

"Have you ever been to _this_ time…zone…before?"

_"No, I couldn't."_

"Do you have a time limit?"

_"Yes."_

_"_Did your Headquarters send you here because of the Intersect?"

_"What's an Intersect?"_

"Yes or no?"

_"No!"_

"Did they send you here to retrieve the brass compass?"

_"Yes. It's called an omni."_

"Does this _omni_ belong to you?"

_"Yes."_

"Do you work for the United States Government?"

_"No."_

"Is this any type of Government funded program?"

_"No._ _Not that I know of."_

"Is Voyager Headquarters in this country?"

_"Not at all…No."_

"Is Voyager Headquarters in the Middle East?" Chuck interrupted and tapped his head smartly.

Phineas pouted at him. _"No."_

"Do you know where it is?" Sarah continued.

_"Sorta…yes."_

Chuck's arms fell to his sides. "Is it in outer space?"

_"Yes!"_

"Are they aliens?"

_"No."_

"They're humans?" Sarah asked surprised.

_"Yes! So far there are no signs of any other intelligent life but humans in outer space, how long is this gonna take?"_

"As long as we want it to." Sarah snapped. "Are you married?"

_"No, interested?"_

Chuck narrowed his eyes, but kept quiet.

"Funny, Phineas. Do you have children?"

_"Not while I'm single…No."_

The machine buzzed a negative.

_"Ha!_ I told you he's a baby maker through history!" Chuck said.

Phineas tried to lunge for him, but Sarah held him down and looked sharply at Chuck. "This is serious, Chuck, _knock it off_! Phineas, do you have natural born children?"

_"No…I don't know…never mind."_ He blushed.

"Fair enough." Sarah grinned. "Do you know if Jeffrey is your son?"

_"No, he' s not. I wish he was…he's like a son to me."_

"Did you kidnap him?"

_"No…not really."_

"Did you rescue him?"

_"Yes."_

"Is Jeffrey considered a Voyager?"

_"Yes."_

"Would _he_ know anything about the Intersect?"

_"No! Nothing. Leave him out of this."_

"It's okay, Phineas. We believe you. We wouldn't hurt him."

Chuck logged onto the computer database. "Hey, what's his full name and where's he's from?"

_"Jeffrey Jones, he's from New York City. I found him in 1982."_

"Hey, Jeffrey Jones…like the dad in _Beetlejuice_ and the villain in _Howard the duck_…oh yeah, and the principal in _Ferris Bueller_…among other…things…"

Both Sarah and Phineas glanced at him like he had lobsters in his ears. Chuck hushed up and typed the information. The computer pulled up Jeffrey's birth certificates, school records, and a series of articles from national newspapers circulated in 1982. An eleven-year old boy mysteriously disappeared from his apartment. The only evidence was a shattered window and a chewed up black book with Phineas' name and unidentifiable fingerprints on it aside from Jeffrey's prints. His parents were killed a few months prior to the incident in a trailer accident and his only surviving relatives were his aunt Elizabeth and her second husband, now living in Miami Beach, Florida.

Chuck sympathized with him. Jeffrey lost both parents, and was then thrust into a life of secrecy and turmoil against his will. It was all too familiar. He turned to Phineas.

"Do you _love_ Jeffrey?"

_"Most definitely…yes."_

"Good, then take care of him, you're all he has in this world…in the universe." Chuck said kindly.

Phineas' jaw tightened and his eyes watered. _"I know…and he's all I have. I have to find him. Are we almost done?"_

"Almost." Sarah said. "Do the Voyagers train you for this work?"

_"Yes."_

"Is this device magic?"

_"Uhh…no."_

"Do you know who built it?"

_"Yes."_

"Are there more of them?"

_"Yes."_

"Are there many Voyagers?"

_"Yes."_

"Do you know them?"

_"Yes, but not all of them."_

"Can you contact anyone now?"

_"No."_

"Can they contact you by means other than the omni?"

_"No…unless they send someone here that knows we're on this assignment. They probably will soon."_

"Have you ever killed anyone for this organization?"

_"No, never."_

"Are there evil Voyagers?" Chuck questioned.

Phineas thought of Drake and nodded slowly. _"Yes…there are Voyagers who want to usurp power and reconstruct history to their own liking."_

"Have you met them?" Sarah added.

_"One."_

"Who is he?"

"_He goes by the name Drake. We never got along even at Voyager Academy."_

"Do you know Wilhelm Julian?"

_"Nope…uhh...no."_

Sarah was running out of questions. She wanted to get to the core of Phineas Bogg's work and it would take more than yes and no answers. She shut off the machine.

"We're done. You did fine, Phineas. I'm sorry to put you through that, but we had to, but we still have to talk."

She unstrapped Phineas and he grasped her hand tenderly.

"You're an enigma, Sarah. You're tough, intelligent, and you can kick mean tuba! But on the same token, I think you're pretty soft, feminine, and caring, don't lose those qualities."

Chuck watched Phineas' romantic display, but pretended not to hear. Sarah sponged all Phineas' compliments with a smile, but she made no hasty replies. Chuck's jealousy heated up. He trusted that Sarah could hold herself together with this guy. He was a flash in the pan that would take off into the cosmos the first chance he got. Chuck rolled his chair to the long table.

Phineas ran his hand through his hair and sat down across from Chuck. "Hey, I'm really hungry. Do you mind if we get something to eat before you continue this interrogation?"

Sarah grinned. "I think that can be arranged, Chuck could you…"

Chuck shook his head. "Nope…I want to stay. Phineas and I need to have a man-to man convo. Here's some money, bring back something good."

Sarah sighed and wondered about Chuck's mood. "Okay then."

"_Uhh_…do you have hot dogs in this future?" Phineas asked hopefully.

"Hot dogs?" Chuck stared in disbelief. "Figures, time travel, baseball, hot dogs. They go hand in hand. Am I right?"

_"What? _The kid introduced them to me at Yankee Stadium! Boy was it great, we got to see Babe Ruth make his sixtieth home run! But that was only after we saved him from Lucky Luciano...and I also had a _little_ problem trying to get Cleopatra back to Egypt, she _loved_ the roaring twenties!" Phineas rambled.

Chuck and Sarah shared an amused glance. They were going to hear a lot of crazy time travel stories from this character.

"Okay, Phineas, I'll get a few hot dogs for you…Chuck, _do not_ leave this room."

"I wouldn't think of it."

"Relish, please, and one with onions and mustard too." Phineas asked politely.

"You got it." Sarah hurried out.

Chuck folded his hands. "Now, _I_ have a few questions, but it's not about your illustrious Voyager career."

Phineas rolled his eyes wearily. "Okay, what is it?"

"Do you like Sarah?"

"Sarah's a very nice woman."

"That's not what I asked."

"Okay, yeah, _I like_ Sarah. When she's not holding a gun on me. What of it? Don't you? Never mind. I know you do. It's written all over your face, Chuck."

Chuck curled his lip and grunted. He leaned forward slow and tried to employ Casey intimidation tactics, but Phineas was barely ruffled.

"Okay, you got me. But let's just get one thing clear here, buddy. You're a visitor. Once we settle this craziness you and Jeffrey will be outta here. Don't try and start a cosmic relationship with her, because it ain't happening. I won't let you break her heart."

Phineas wanted to laugh, but Chuck's concern for Sarah touched him. "Chuck, I know how strongly you feel about Sarah. I'll back off. As beautiful as she is, I don't really think she's my type. You gotta understand something, I'm not _trying _anything. I'm just being _myself._ Sarah appreciates that, but she's very focused on work…and _you."_

Phineas banged the table and his eyes flared. I'm done with this, Now, I want to know a few things!"

Chuck flinched under his hot gaze. His attempt at interrogations failed.

"What kind of powers do you have in that brain of yours, Chuck? Tell me how you saw those images when you looked at the omni."

Chuck rolled back and groaned. "Okay…it all started one night when I logged onto my computer a year ago…"

It was only fair to tell Phineas about the Intersect since they harassed him over it. Sarah would decide if they let Beckman in on the particulars. He glanced at the clock, it was after midnight and it was going to be a _very _long night.


	7. The past is relative

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 7: The past is relative**

Casey and Jeffrey made their way across the remainder of Bedloe Island. A rowboat bobbed against the pier on the opposite end. Casey stopped Jeffrey in his tracks.

"We aren't getting anywhere tramping around this heap. The only way to find out what's really wrong is to get into Manhattan. We're taking that boat."

Jeffrey's breath came out in frosted plumes and his teeth chattered. He nodded and gripped his arm. Casey was getting used to the boy's clinging tendency. In an odd way, he felt comforted as a fatherly instinct kicked him. However, he felt it would have been easier to go about all this alone. The way he preferred it.

"_If that was the case, I might as well have let him drown."_ He quickly dispelled his thought. "_What kind of monster am I to think about letting a child die"_

The wind whistled eerily through the statue's remains as the neared the dinghy. A bizarre chill saturated the air and it wasn't from the cold. Casey glanced at Jeffrey; he sensed it too, and his frightened dark gaze wandered across the span of Manhattan as he looked for a source.

Jeffrey tugged on Casey's shirtsleeve. "Look at all the smoke rising. What happened over there?"

"That could just be fireplaces, kid, nothing more." He said unconvinced.

"I don't know, it's almost like the buildings are smoldering."

Casey rubbed his cold nose to catch a whiff of the air, and he smelled the faint scents of fire, burned out bricks, and decay. They finally reached the boat and Casey unwrapped the ropes off the wood post. He put Jeffrey inside and climbed in. He grabbed the oars and rowed away with brisk strokes. The exertion warmed his tight muscles.

"It shouldn't take us too long, there's a strong wind blowing and the water is choppy enough for us to coast."

"Where should we go first?"

"I plan on dumping this wreck off by the South Street Seaport, or whatever it's called in this time_._ Then, I'm getting us some new clothes."

"I guess we'll have to start at the Lower East Side…just remember, they don't take American Express, and we can't use modern money."

Casey grunted. The kid was right, why didn't _he_ think of that_?_

"_Because it's not your job, Major…you'll have to accept that this little Jones boy knows more than you about being a Voyager."_

"Good thinking, kid. We'll have to do a little shopping off the clothesline express."

Jeffrey bit his lip and briskly rubbed his arms. He rocked back and forth.

"I…I…I hope we get there fast. I'm turning to a Popsicle!"

"Tell me about it…my limbs are ready to crack off."

The rest of the boat ride continued in silence. Jeffrey found a little more warmth by laying in the center of the boat and curling his body into a fetal position. Casey wished he could do the same. He glanced down when he felt a tap on his leg.

"Just so you know, Casey, the omni is usually very precise. It always lands Bogg and me at the right place and the right time."

Casey ceased rowing and let the boat drift. He cupped his hands and blew into them to relieve the stiffness in his fingers. The wood dug into his palms.

"I'll keep that in mind, kid." He picked at a few splinters and then resumed rowing to pick up speed. He continually peeked at Jeffrey and nudged him with his foot to stay alert.

"You don't want hypothermia. Your body could go into a state of shock and you won't even realize it."

"Okay. I've been out in the cold before, but this is just _brick!"_

After fifteen minutes, Casey glided the boat to an abandoned dock. He rowed it to a post and tied up the ropes securely, in case they needed it again. Jeffrey climbed out and jumped up and down like mad to keep warm until Casey grabbed him.

"Do you wanna take another dunk in the ocean? This wood is rotted up, be careful._"_ He grumbled.

"Look, I'm _cold,_ this is the only thing I can do about it, lighten up!"

Casey shook his head and imagined how a young guy like Phineas Bogg handled the kid. "_Apparently not with his back hand like I might!" _He fumed.

Jeffrey wasn't rambunctious, and he was very mature for his age; it was his smart mouth that got him in trouble. Casey dragged him off the dock toward the outskirts of the city. He expected to see this section thriving with the huddled masses of dirt poor tenement dwellers selling wares in the streets and doing laborious work in sweatshops. There was barely a soul in sight. He noticed people spying on them from a few apartment windows but they immediately drew their curtains and locked their doors.

"There's something rotten in Denmark, kid. I know old New York and this is _not _the City I remember from the History Channel."

Jeffrey smiled as they walked the deserted cobblestone streets.

"They have a _history_ channel? _Neat!_ Is it like PBS?"

Casey looked up and sighed. He forgot the kid was stolen to Voyager world _before_ Cablevision was the rage.

_"Uhh…sorta_…it's a _cable_ channel, that's a bunch of channels that air specialized programming, there are tons of them now."

"Wow, we only had like six cable channels or something. I can't remember."

"I remember…the eighties were my days, kid. I was in my late teens and early twenties then. 1982? _Hmm,_ I was 19 and pretty green in my NSA training. I never really got caught up in all the pop and pap."

"Gee, you must be like fifty years old."

"Hey _watch it!_ I'm only forty-six."

"Oh!" Jeffrey looked him over. _"Well_…I guess being a spy keeps you healthy, you sure don't look it. I would have pegged you to be…_thirty-five!"_

Casey smiled lopsided. "Thanks, trying to build up the brownie points now, huh?"

Jeffrey smirked. "Yeah, it wouldn't be cool if you hated my guts and then I needed your help. Besides, I think I can trust you. You work for a secret service, it's your job to protect people."

_"Hmm_, good call kid, still working those points."

Jeffrey shrugged shyly. "It's just like Voyagers, _a little_. We protect people we meet in the time zones, but we don't use weapons or get the cool badges and stuff. At least Bogg doesn't. He hates guns."

"No weapons! That's lame…_Heh,_ what _do_ you get besides headaches and back aches? A gold V pin? Maybe that comes with retirement instead of a watch. I can't imagine their HMO."

"I don't know about that stuff, but they inoculated us for all known diseases throughout time. That wasn't _fun!_ I was sick to my stomach for like two weeks!"

"It makes sense and it's necessary. You wouldn't want to drop dead from Spanish Influenza or black plague in the fifteenth century." Casey said, impressed with Headquarters' operations.

A Voyager had to rely mightily on his wits and natural graces…_not_ his big guns and cell phones. Casey checked his pockets. His cell phone was long gone. A hundred and twenty two years from now someone would fish it out of the water. He changed his thought, the East River was a cesspool, it would lay at the soiled bottom with the mob victims.

He wrung his shirt again, irritated. "_Alright_…I've had enough of this! Something better clue us in here or else I'm gonna…"

A young woman's intense scream broke the silence and Casey pointed toward a razed brown-brick tenement. They saw her run for her life out of the rubble. Her long wool skirts tripped her up and her dark haired bun spilled over her shoulders.

"No! Stay away from me!" She pleaded.

Jeffrey gaped in shock and shook Casey. "Oh my God! What the heck is _that?"_

Casey and Jeffrey gawked at the scene. A life-size copper robot constructed with knobs and flashing buttons rushed after the woman on a base with four wheels. It whirred and beeped as a mechanical voice emanated from its gramophone shaped mouth.

_"Halt! Halt! Intruder! Intruder!"_

It raised a skeletal arm and prepared to attack on the helpless woman. She screamed again and crawled away as best she could. Casey raced ahead; he picked up a brick and flung it.

"Get _away _from her, _Robby the Robot!"_

The robot backed up and rotated itself to face them. It's heavy, metal eyelids blinked twice and glowed fiendishly red.

_"Intruders! Intruders!"_

Bullhorn alarms pierced the air and built up intensity until it the entire city fell under red-alert. The robot pointed its hand and a blue beam shot out from its fingertip. Casey leaped atop Jeffrey and tossed him aside. He grappled for the blades strapped against his leg. He pulled one and was ready to toss it straight between its eyes when he heard a loud clang. The robot cocked its head and turned. The woman found her bearings and clutched a wooden two-by-four with a snarl on her attractive face.

"Take that, you fiend! Leave us alone! Go away!"

_"Kill! Kill! KILL ALL INTRUDERS!"_

She lost her nerve. "No! Help me!"

The robot poised to release lasers from its eyes when Casey expertly flung the blade into the clock shaped mechanism on the back of his head. Waves of electricity shot through it's joints and its body quivered. The robot spouted gibberish and the laser functions zapped out of control. Casey grabbed the startled woman and Jeffrey and they all ran for cover under a store awning. The robot shook and exploded into hundreds of springs and tiny parts.

Casey ducked with Jeffrey and the woman and acted as a shield. Little shards of copper and coils bounced off his back until everything finally settled into a small, fiery heap. He rose slowly and wiped the debris off his clothes. The woman stood and faced her rescuers. She was tall and graceful with round sapphire blue eyes and pursed, full lips that enhanced her prominent features. She arched a pointed eyebrow at Casey and her expression contorted in happiness.

She leaped into his arms and smothered him with loving kisses.

_"Oh my Lord!_ Thank heavens! It's you, Matthew! I thought I'd _never_ find you again after the siege! Where had they taken you? I've missed you so much, love!" She exclaimed with a light English accent.

Casey had no choice but to kiss her, but then stopped himself. He felt very strange. She slid out of his arms and looked him over with awe.

"Oh my! You're _not _Matthew…_but_…but you…you look just like him! It's almost _uncanny_…granted he has green eyes and…he's smaller in bulk…_wait,_ he's much younger…but the height is the same, the hair color. You have the same nose." She tearfully stepped closer and stroked his face.

Casey looked to Jeffrey confused and Jeffrey shrugged. Casey smiled to put her at ease. She held her mouth and covered her cheeks.

"The smile! Oh, that _smile! _It's his!" She gasped.

The woman stumbled and Jeffrey caught hold of her before she tripped over rubble. He had a sinking feeling in his gut, but he waited to see what happened next.

Casey shook his head. "No, no my name is not Matthew, its _John,_ John Casey and I'm…"

"John Casey! You must be a relative! My husband is Matthew Jonathan _Casey! _He's never mentioned you before!"

Casey felt as if someone punched a hole in his stomach and he groaned. He held her shoulders gently. _"Uh_…yes. I'm his distant, older…_cousin_ from California…would you excuse us for just one moment _miss…"_

"Colleen."

"Colleen, I just have to talk to…_uhh_…"

"I'm his ward, Jeffrey Jones!" Jeffrey cut in, deciding not to use the father-son ploy as he did with Phineas at times. He was often surprised when it worked out for them, because they looked like night and day.

Casey tugged Jeffrey's collar and led him into the general store. He leaned unsteadily against the counter and knocked over a jar of peppermint sticks.

"Talk about family reunions, this is _impossible_. That's…that's my great-great grandmother, Colleen Baldwin! She started _my_ family line in America when she came from England. She married Matthew Jonathan Casey in 1885. I know that much!"

_"Woah! _She does kinda look like a relative…you both have that lovely snarling lip! The apples don't fall far from the trees in the Casey clan."

"Or the _Baldwins_." Casey mused. He could tell she came from tough stock.

"Are you from New York?"

"No…but the Caseys settled in Chicago after they migrated from the West. I think that…_hold on_, I don't want to leave her out there alone."

Colleen eyed them curiously, and shivered from the cold and fear. The bullhorn alarms subsided, but from the corner of her eye she saw a giant flying apparatus slowly drifting past the island. It was a brightly colored and garishly decorated blimp that made daily rounds across the city and monitored all the activities of its inhabitants. The sign, _'MASTERMIND OF THE FUTURE'_ blinked on and off from huge red and yellow bulbs tacked onto the outer layer.

"Look! It's back again!"

Casey took her hand. "Come inside, Colleen, you'll get sick and…" He gaped at the airship. Jeffrey ran out to watch.

"Now what the hell is _that? _Ronald McDonald's new advertising?" Casey shouted at the sky. Jeffrey wanted to laugh, but stayed quiet. There was nothing funny about the current state of New York City.

"That _thing_ belongs to the Mastermind! He laid siege to this city after destroying the Statue of Liberty on inauguration day. Matthew and visited to see the statue, thankfully we were delayed and hadn't made it to Bedloe before she…"

Colleen broke into sobs. _"Oh…Matthew_…he was taken by the Mastermind!"

Casey and Jeffrey stared at each other apprehensively and led her into the abandoned store. They locked it up tight and drew the shades. Jeffrey went about trying to find dry clothing and shoes in the back room. He was very hungry too, and spied meats and cheeses to make sandwiches. Casey propped Colleen on a stool and she cried in her arms. He clutched shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly.

"Tell us everything that happened, Colleen. We need to know…names and dates."

Jeffrey glanced out the doorway and Casey winked at him. He was catching on to a Voyager's work.

Colleen composed herself and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled from her dress pocket. "Like I said, we came to see the inauguration in October, but it was also because of Matthew's work…he's…he's a bounty hunter and he had secret information that led him to Manhattan Island."

Casey grinned in wonder. "_Way to go gramps!"_

The Caseys had a long history in law enforcement. "Who was he looking for, Colleen?"

"A crazy inventor, I believe…like a mad scientist out of the Frankenstein novel! His name was Wilhelm Julian. My husband was assigned to track him down after he foiled his plot to disturb the weather patterns in Chicago. Wilhelm created an actual tornado on September 18th!"

_"Wilhelm_…oh no! I've heard of him…I mean…"

Jeffrey came out from the storage room bundled in miss-matched and over sized clothes, but warm. He held a pile out to Casey.

"These are the biggest I can find. What's wrong?"

Casey excused himself from Colleen and took Jeffrey to the end of the counter. "Colleen's husband was bounty hunting Wilhelm Julian, he was the guy who sponsored the auction at the hotel in 2008! How the hell is that possible? Is Julian a Voyager?"

Jeffrey scratched his head. "He could be! Maybe that's why he's so inventive and stuff…_unless_…"

Drake's snide face passed through his mind. Jeffrey wouldn't put it past him to remove a lunatic from his own time zone to wreak havoc in others. Drake's ultimate game was to destroy the fabric of history.

"Unless _what? _He's a Jules Verne fanatic?_"_

"Bogg and I are always tracking this rogue Voyager named Drake. He likes to mess up history. _He _could have brought Wilhelm to the future! Drake has a silver omni, an even better version than Phineas with open time calibration."

Casey smacked his head. "Then Chuck's guesses _were _right. Wilhelm could is plotting to destroy California with a massive earthquake! My boss told me he liked to play around with the elements. Pretty sharp, kid!"

Casey grabbed the clothes and hurried back to Colleen. She moved behind the counter and sliced up bread so they could all eat.

"I thought you and the child might be hungry."

"Thanks, we are. Hey…how did Matthew stop the tornado? I mean, what did he do about that?"

Colleen wagged a knife at him with a small laugh. "I told him if he didn't die trying, I would kill him myself! Matthew dragged along a weather scientist and a shaved ice maker into a giant hot air balloon and tempered the tornado's formation with the cold! Thankfully, it was enough to shrink it and send it spiraling over the Des Moines river. But it still hit the town of Joliet...he prevented so many casualties though! What that man puts himself through…and me!"

Casey laughed, thinking he might have done the same thing. He started to remove his shirt, then turned red with embarrassment when Colleen cleared her throat and arched her brows. It was almost like dressing in front of your own grandmother, though Colleen was still very young and beautiful.

"Sorry. He sounds like quite a character, what made you marry him? Besides the obvious?"

Colleen chuckled and lifted a pickle barrel lid. She brought a few pickles to their plates and dressed the sandwiches. Casey and Jeffrey dug in.

"You mean those _dashing _and _rugged _Casey good looks? Matthew was a real charmer, and so intent on courting me. He used to come to my home every day with a long stemmed rose until I finally agreed."

Casey folded his arms with a wry smile. The rose ploy never got old. Wouldn't Roan Montgomery be so jealous to know it was really a _Casey_ tradition?

"What made you hesitate?" Casey had a clue, it was the same reason he avoided long-term relationships.

Colleen drew a sharp breath. "I knew the kind of work he was involved with. It was dangerous, I thought it was impractical for a time…and…I was _scared,_ John. I felt if I married him, I would somehow lose him to tragedy. He did not know it right away, but I _was_ desperately in love with him. I had a change of heart. A marriage is for better or for worse, and I realized it was far worse for me to never share love with him if I refused_._ I admire his occupation. He is such a brave man. We've had quite a few adventuresome times together."

Colleen burst into more tears and Casey hung his head. A deep and frightening thought came to mind.

"Colleen, do you and Matthew have children?"

Colleen blushed pink and toyed with her mid-section. "Oh John, he does not know it yet, but I _am_ pregnant, I feel it! I come from a family of doctors and I know the signs. I must be a month at least. We've been separated for almost that long. I fear he may be _dead!_ Matthew stormed Wilhelm's headquarters in Central Park. He searched him out for nearly two months after the Statue of Liberty disaster. Wilhelm took entire city hostage with that flying machine and he keeps it grounded in the park! So many have since died at his hands! We could not flee. His mechanical men attacked him. Matthew tried to protect me and he was kidnapped!"

Jeffrey finished off his food and nudged Casey in the ribs. "This is _not good!_ He whispered frantically. "Colleen, can you tell us exactly _when_ Matthew was kidnapped?"

"It was December 5th…we hid out in that building you saw me running from. You must get dressed, John, you're frozen and you'll catch your death."

Colleen stared at him longingly, thinking of her beloved. Casey gazed sympathetically and then looked away saddened. She puttered around the counter refilling their fountain drinks and trying to keep herself collected. Casey went to the stockroom and changed into the clothing – baggy, navy blue carpenter pants and a tight, white thermal shirt with brown suspenders. The boots were a decent fit. Jeffrey knocked and Casey grunted for him to enter.

_"Okay,_ I figured it out and this is what we do, we have to go back to October 28th, 1886, and stop Wilhelm from destroying the statue."

"Wait a minute, what about my ancestor? He was kidnapped in December."

"That doesn't matter, if we _stop _Wilhelm, then he'll never siege the City and the kidnapping will never happen. Your family can enjoy the inauguration. The red light is the Statue of Liberty bombing."

"You're right. And my great-granddaddy can catch the SOB later and bring him down!" Casey punched his palm.

Jeffrey waved his hand. _"Wait. _I don't know about that one, because then that would change Wilhelm being in the future. Matthew may just _never_ catch him."

"Then we might!"

"Maybe…but…never mind." Jeffrey was confused with all the time paradoxes. If he and Major Casey captured Wilhelm, events would be altered in 2008. They went to the counter and finished up their meals.

"What do we do now?"

Jeffrey set the dials on the omni. "Now we have to save Lady Liberty."

"Great, so then Wilhelm can get away and turn California into rubble in _my time." _

"You're forgetting that Chuck, Sarah, and Phineas are down there, they'll know what to do." Jeffrey tried to sound confident.

Casey pointed to Colleen. "And what about her? We can't just leave a pregnant woman in the middle of nowhere to be zapped down by a wicked CP3-O!"

"This time zone _won't_ exist once we leave and she'll be fine!" Jeffrey insisted.

"What if we _can't _stop him? What if something goes wrong and he kills Matthew? Or what if he kills _Colleen!"_

Casey felt so agitated, he started to sound like Chuck with his 'what ifs' and complaints. A shrill high-pitched sound filled the area and Jeffrey clasped his ears. A looming shadow passed the windows and Casey ran back to Colleen and dragged her to the floor. Jeffrey shoved himself under the counter just as a huge laser beam shattered the windows and burned the stools to a blackened crisp.

Colleen wailed and clutched Casey for protection. "He's found me! _Please, _don't let him kill me! I have to live for our child!" She moaned.

"Then move now! Don't stay here, he's gonna fire again! There's a back exit!"

"What about you and Jeffrey?" Colleen was afraid to leave his arms and buried her head against his collarbone with small sobs. "Take me with you!"

"Don't worry about us, Colleen. We'll make it..._please.._.just go!" Casey lifted her chin and gazed at her tenderly. He quickly kissed the top of her head. He understood why his great-great grandfather fell in love with this brave woman. Her eyes brightened resolutely and she reluctantly crawled away into the stockroom.

"Do not forget about me." She called back.

"Never, Colleen. Go and take care of that baby." Casey grinned. He looked at Jeffrey. "What if she _dies_?"

The air tingled with static again, and the dissonant noise built up for a fiercer attack.

"If he kills Colleen now, it won't make a difference because it's still a red light! But if he does when we find him, _then_ _you_ cease to exist. We gotta go!"

_"Wait! W_hat if we…?"

Casey's last 'what if' went unheeded as they burst into the cosmos. The laser sliced across the counter and engulfed the entire store in flames.


	8. Down with the OCC

**Chapter 8: Down with OCC**

Chuck and Sarah quietly entered the Castle base the following morning and Chuck carried a bag with breakfast for Phineas. After two hours of explanations and crazy Voyager anecdotes from Phineas, they left him alone at Castle for the rest of the night. They both decided that he could be trusted, and were comforted that he had no clue how to _turn on_ the computers, let alone bypass the lock-down codes.

Phineas came from the back with a hearty yawn and scratched his head and stomach. He ran smack into them. He gasped and grappled with the blanket around his waist before it slipped even further. Chuck put the bag down irritated. Phineas strode to the table and inhaled the sweet aromas of roasted coffee, eggs and bacon and settled to eat.

"Thanks for the food! I haven't eaten this good in centuries."

Sarah laughed and turned on the database. "You look pretty healthy to me."

"Yeah, I do my best." He grinned.

"Oh, _must you?"_ Chuck demanded.

"Must I _what?"_

"Strut around here showing off that hairy _bod_. Casey wouldn't do this, and he's even hairier than _thou."_

"I'm not surprised, but he doesn't look like he'd even know how to strut!" Phineas retorted.

"Can't you see there's a lady present?"

"I doubt that's ever stopped Phineas before." Sarah responded with a wink and Phineas returned it casually.

The steam nearly curled out of Chuck's ears. Phineas' wink seemed something of a trademark and there was no denying from both sexes that it was just plain cute.

"No, I guess it hasn't." Chuck sighed. He felt exhausted learning all these secrets and the extra-long flash wore him before they even started a real mission. He wondered how Casey and Jeffrey were fared, wherever they were.

"Can't you stop being _overly_ chivalrous, Chuck? You're from the Twenty-first Century. I thought you're all supposed to be chauvinist jerks or something…but anyway, get your britches out of a clump and just relax!" Phineas said through chews.

Chuck inched toward him. He bared his teeth and shook his hands in a choking gesture. Phineas backed away. If there was one thing he learned traveling through history, jealousy over a woman often drove men to murder.

"Hey look, Chuck, I was _sleeping_…you and Sarah came in unannounced. I'll have you know it felt good to rest on something soft and _not_ be fully dressed. I told you last night, I'm no stranger to dungeons, barns, haystacks, hammocks…even a pile of leaves or rocks, so stop busting my chops! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go make myself decent for _you_."

"Thank you!"

Phineas sauntered away. _"Prude." _

_"Worm…s_ay, exactly what _part_ of the anatomy are we talking about when we say, _chops?" _Chuck asked to be annoying.

"My _teeth!_ You irritate me so much, I wanna grind them down to powder!" Phineas called out from the back and slammed the door.

"I so know those are _caps!_" Chuck yelled after him in the dumbest argument he had ever been in.

"You two are behaving like five-year-olds…and _you_ instigate." Sarah cut in before Chuck could make another lame comeback.

Chuck laughed surprised. _"Me?_ What did I do? I just don't want to see a half naked man walking around first thing in the morning."

"You should be used to that, you _live_ with Captain Awesome." Sarah shook her head and waved her hand. _"Anyway_…I've decided we need to contact General Beckman."

Chuck stopped her before she logged-on. He blocked her view of the monitor. "Wait…_wait,_ _wait!_ I don't think that's a good idea. We need to reason this through together. What are we gonna tell her about Casey?"

"Well, if she knows about Voyagers, then she would know that it _is _possible to time travel, right?"

Chuck paced. "What if my flash was a fluke? Like a _fake flash_, a _fluke flash!_ I'm a flash faker again!"

"Chuck, the Intersect only contains secrets the Government puts into it. It's never wrong even if _you're_ not immediately sure what triggered it or why."

"Bryce did send me an upgrade." Chuck remembered the snazzy sunglasses that nearly electrified his brains when he downloaded a boatload of fresh secrets into his subconscious.

"What if it's something Beckman doesn't know about…_yet?"_

"Chuck that's impossible."

"What's _impossible?" _Phineas asked as he entered fully dressed. "Voyagers don't use that word."

Chuck looked him over with a hoot of laughter. "Look Sarah, it's _Jack Sparrow!"_

"Never heard of the guy…but I knew a first mate named Crow when I was a buccaneer. He was a loyal pirate." Phineas grinned.

Phineas was dressed in his usual attire, a billowing white shirt cut low at the chest, a sepia, suede vest, and a colorful, thinly striped sash with a dark green belt and brass buckle of the USA's National Emblem. He wore fitted beige pants with red stripes running down the sides of his legs and high brown leather boots.

_"Now_ I understand why no one takes you seriously on voyager missions, Phineas. _Darn,_ you missed National talk like a Pirate Day. Come back on September 19th and you'll feel much more at home." Chuck joked.

"Leave him alone, Chuck…he looks _hot._ That outfit could re-start the pirate trend." Sarah smiled.

_"Ha! _Was there _ever_ really one? _Uhh_…did you just say…_hot?"_

Sarah faced the screen and ignored him. Chuck wasn't acting himself, and he behaved obnoxiously. Phineas took it all in stride, apparently he knew something she didn't. She chalked it up to being a guy thing. Phineas walked to the monitor.

"What were you planning to do? I hope you're not going to tell anyone else about this. You swore _me_ to secrecy with this whole NSA, CIA, Inter _something_, ABC stuff!"

"Actually…I _was._ Chuck had a flash, so that means the omni and the Voyager secrets are inside the Intersect, we have to know how it all relates to this mission our superior gave us and…"

Phineas was about to respond, but a high-pitched whistle cut them off. Phineas grabbed Sarah and pulled her quickly to the corner.

"I don't think you wanna be standing over there…Chuck! Come _here!"_

Chuck rushed over and a split second later a large man tumbled into the room, as if he appeared from thin air. He landed exactly where Chuck stood and hollered as he came to his feet.

_"Crikey!_ I haven't used this old model in years! What a rush!"

"You've seen a Voyager disappear, well this is how we actually _appear!"_ Phineas laughed and hurried over to him with a smile and a firm handshake. "It's good to see ya, Bobby! Glad you can drop in! I was wondering when you desk riders from VHQ were gonna come by and clear up this mess."

Chuck and Sarah gaped at the ceiling then back at the man. He stood as tall as Casey with catty, blue eyes, light brown hair, and a large, cheerful grin reminiscent of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. He came forward and Sarah pulled her gun.

"_Don't_ move another inch! Who are you?"

_"Woah,_ Sheila! I'm a friend! I'm Bobby Peters, head of the Omni Control Center at Voyager Headquarters…or _OCC_ if you'd like. I'm glad I made it before you touched that button."

Sarah loosened her finger from the trigger, but kept the gun pointed in his direction. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean,_ if you go telling your General Beckman about Voyagers, she'll be liable to put you and Chuck in the nut house. I can't tell you how many red lights that will cause."

"You know General Beckman? What are you telling us? This whole thing was _deliberate?" _Chuck asked.

"In a way…at least our end of it. I had the data crunchers at VHQ _purposely_ insert an omni flash into the latest Intersect upgrade. Now that it's over, it will never happen again, we erased it. Your NSA and CIA doesn't know about us and I intend to keep it that way."

Sarah lowered the gun. Phineas let out a deep breath and shook his head. He disliked guns and found it very unbecoming for a beautiful woman to carry one. Chuck looked at them relieved.

"I _knew_ there was something odd about that flash. It was way too long and there were too many crazy images."

Bobby shrugged. "I know, I told them it's only eight to ten seconds, but they were just having too much fun retrieving the recorded data off Phineas' omni. It gave them something to do. Sorry 'bout that, mate."

Chuck smiled. "That's okay, but _why?"_

Bobby paced around the room and looked at the electronics with interest. He quickly bent over and typed in a few codes that put the computers on a locked standby. Sarah pulled his arm away.

"What did you just do? This is highly sensitive equipment here, not to mention top-secret."

_"Right_. I trained on these models twenty years ago in my lifetime…it's still a _beaut!_ I only disengaged it, in case anyone is tapping in. Where was I? _Oh_ right, _why?_ When Phineas lost his omni in 1906, the circuitry damaged and our teams spent days trying to repair it externally…but it was also lost for a hundred and two years up until your time."

"Hold on, what do you mean…_your time?_" Chuck asked.

"Voyager Planet is not confined to time restrictions like earth. We age, surely, because we're human, but we are way outside the time zone limitations. Kind of like a separate dimensional plane."

_"_Fascinating. We've entered the _Twilight Zone_. _So, _I guess you guys don't have clocks and stuff. What do you do, look at the sun and moon? A little outmoded for a group that can manipulate the laws of physics and all that."

"Chuck, we have tons of clocks! Our whole business is t_ime. _We have devices that can tell you the precise time and date of every country in every time zone from the beginning of humankind. And it can account for any man-made calendar system. We're a very _advanced_ bunch, but, you and…Sarah, _is it?"_

"Yes, Sarah Walker."

Bobby stared at her and narrowed his eyes.

"_Right_…_Walker…_Well, _anyhoo,_ I need you all to latch onto each other. Phin, I thought it would be cool to show these blokes the 'real' Voyager experience. And by the way, you are about 500 years overdue for servicing and in major need of an upgrade. Councilman Garth is also on my back about making sure you get the updated Guidebook! It's collecting cobwebs, man."

"Yeah Bobby, I would upgrade and all that but the omni is…"

Bobby sighed. "_I know_. That's why we're gonna go to VHQ and track these two down. I'm sorry, Phin, but the circuitry in your omni is still acting screwed. We get a static feed, then we lose it before we can secure a location. It's been like that for days. I'm thinking it might be water damage on top of age, since it _was_ missing and unprotected for a century."

Phineas gaped at him_. "Water_ damage! We weren't in the water lately! _Oh my God…_We can't lose it, Bobby! Jeffrey's out there with a complete stranger! Anything can happen! Anything could have happened!"

"That's why we have to act now._"_

Sarah patted Phineas' shoulder. "Casey is with him, Phineas. He'll do his best to protect him. I know he will."

"Right, he'll just grunt, grumble, and bark, but Jeffrey is very safe. Wait a minute…_Hold on!_ You mean you're going to take us through time and space to your Headquarters?" Chuck gasped.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Bobby replied.

"Bu…_but_…we can't just _leave!_ We have a mission to accomplish here! I have a _life_…granted it's making 12 bucks an hour at the Buy More, but…my _sister_…my friends…We have to stop Wilhelm Julian from turning California into the climax of Superman 1! The _good _version of course, with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder."

Sarah rolled her eyes and calmly refused. "I'm sorry, Bobby. Chuck's right. We can't go with you."

Bobby understood, but he wasn't finished with the details. "I still didn't say _why_ we gave Chuck the flash. It's because of Wilhelm Julian. We looked into his past and realized that Voyager Drake brought him out from his own time zone. However, _beforehand,_ Julian was thwarted time and again by a certain _Matthew Jonathan Casey, _a successful Bounty Hunter from Chicago during the late nineteenth century and a little beyond. When we discovered that Julian was in 2008 with Bogg's omni, all the pieces fell together. What better way to bring him down than to have Matthew's great-great grandson do the honors? And then of course we discovered Chuck's little secret and how it all connected to the Casey clan. I'm sorry, but we had to scan all the data in the Intersect to make sure our Headquarters wasn't compromised."

_"Wow!_ That's awesome! This is a really personal vendetta then. Wait until Casey finds out!" Chuck said eagerly.

Bobby smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "We have a feeling that Casey already _knows_. Phin, there are red lights popping up all over the Omnibus mainframe, starting with New York City in 1886 and going as far ahead into the nineteen thirties! It's getting worse and worse. We think Julian went on a rampage…and left many successors."

"That still doesn't explain why you need _us_ out there, especially since Julian's here now?" Sarah noted. She was honestly very frightened about the whole situation and her voice trembled. Chuck sensed this and gently squeezed her hand. She moved closer, for once allowing him to be the protector.

Phineas gave them an ultimatum. "Look, either you come with us, or twiddle your thumbs and wait for California to collapse. The history of world events is changing as we speak. Bobby is trying to say is that once we locate Jeff and Casey, he'll send _us_ to help them. If we can stop Wilhelm in the _past,_ then _this_ future is secure."

"I get it! _I get it!_ _Great idea!_ I want see VHQ! I want to go into the past! _Wait,_ maybe I should go pack…you know, at least a toothbrush, hairbrush…a change of shoes, socks, _underwear_…gotta have that. I won't need my cell, I think that's all I need…Oh and..._me..._I gotta bring myself. Do I have time to write a checklist?" Chuck asked excitably.

"Forget all that. We'll provide whatever you need. _Oh,_ and once you get back, it will be like you _never left_. Grab onto each other, this should only take a moment." Bobby adjusted his omni.

Everyone linked arms. Bobby pushed the activator button and they instantly soared into the cosmos.

**A/N: Bobby Peters and the OCC/Omnibus are not Voyagers show canon, but have become my own personal canon for some of my other stories.**


	9. The Voyager way?

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 9: The Voyager way?**

Casey and Jeffrey fell onto a high steel landing. Jeffrey tumbled and his body sprang sideways. He no longer felt the metal beneath him and thrashed his arms around to grasp for a rung.

"Help me, Casey! _Help!"_

Casey just caught his bearings after his second cosmic flight when he saw Jeffrey fall backwards. He leaped to a crouching position and then flung himself across the grate. He latched onto Jeffrey's ankle just as he slid over the edge.

Jeffrey swung upside down in mid-air terrified. Looking below, he glimpsed thousands of criss-crossing girders and tension wires. It was the framework of a gigantic airship. They landed on the very top level.

Casey eased Jeffrey up by his right leg. He grabbed his waist and yanked him safely back on the landing. Jeffrey fell against him and hugged him tight.

"I was so _scared_! I thought I was a goner. I…I couldn't hold on…" He sputtered.

Casey couldn't remember the last time he received a genuine hug, much less from a child. He awkwardly put his arms around Jeffrey and patted his back. "Don't sweat it, kid, you're _alright_. I caught ya in time…_it's okay…"_

Casey thought of how he single-handedly caught Chuck when the Buy More nerd took a fall off a building rooftop. Casey attempted to reach Chuck and Sarah by racing up the fire escape. He'd never forget Chuck's terrified face and screams as he nearly plummeted to his death.

Nobody knew Major John Casey's inner turmoil. On the one hand, Chuck Bartowski was the Intersect and Casey protected him at all costs. On the other hand, he had explicit orders to kill Chuck as soon as the new Intersect was recovered and installed to its proper place. Casey awoke every morning and dreaded General Beckman's kill order phone call. When the Government finally had the real Intersect, Chuck was to be snuffed out like a candle in the wind by the NSA's top spy and assassin.

Failure to follow these orders would strip Casey of everything he held dear. He would lose his career, title, and his reputation. After the first time he nearly pulled the trigger, he wondered whether all that he held in such high esteem was really worth it. He spent the better half of his life destroying the evil elements, and now he was asked to wantonly dispense with one of the nicest and most innocent people he had ever met. If he didn't comply, Beckman would find someone who would, and _that_ assassin would have no consideration whatsoever. Casey's thoughts shifted back to his present situation. He grasped Jeffrey's shoulders gently and looked him deep in the eyes.

_"Come on,_ Jeffrey. You need to be brave_._ I know you're still just a child, but I can see you got a helluva lot of fight in you. Suck it up, we have a very important job to do."

Jeffrey nodded and choked back the last of his tears. Casey stood and kept hold of him. The landing was trenched into the framework and tethered by the steel wires, but they still swayed precariously.

"Looks like we made it to the belly of the Ronald McDonald beast. This is a zeppelin aircraft. It must be the same one we saw floating around in the other…time…_place."_

"Zone…we call them time zones." Jeffrey opened the omni and the light buzzed red on and off.

"This whole thing is more like the _Twilight_ Zone." Casey muttered. "I wish I knew what time it was, how do we even know what's going on outside?"

"Trust me, VHQ knows what it's doing and the omni is usually programmed correctly. It looks like we're somewhere over the Atlantic."

Casey surveyed the breadth of the airship and groaned. "If you say so. We'll have to get out of its ass end and into the passenger area, that's where the windows should be. If I'm reading this Voyager stuff correctly, Wilhelm Julian _hasn't_ destroyed Lady Liberty yet, right?"

"_Right_…but how can we stop him?"

Casey shrugged nonchalantly. "We storm his Captain's Quarters and… _I kill him."_

Jeffrey's eyes bulged like saucers. _"Whaa…_No! That's not the Voyager way!"

"_Heh,_ Voyager way? That's _my _way, take it or leave it."

"I'm leaving it! Voyagers are not murderers! You can't just go around history killing people…you can't go around killing people at all! What kind of hero are you? Bogg would _never_ suggest that, or do it!" Jeffrey scolded, his hope in Casey diminished.

Casey held his head and rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go. I broke his little, proud, heart. In case you haven't noticed, I'm _not_ Bogg." Casey snorted. "I know his type, he's just a soft-hearted doofus that only gets by with his good looks and literally charms the skirts off…"

Jeffrey growled and shoved Casey. "Hey, shut up! You don't know him at all so don't even talk! You're not killing anyone!"

Casey wanted to shove him back, but realized he could wind up hurting him badly or push him over the frame again. He kept his temper checked and gritted his teeth.

"What do you expect us to do when we find Julian, kid? Have a picnic?"

Jeffrey grabbed the railing and staunchly shook his head. "I didn't say that. There are other ways to stop him. We can always knock him out and tie him up. He's a dwarf next to you. It should be easy. I'm not sure what the real history is here. When Julian was in 2008, it was still a red light…_maybe_…"

Jeffrey snapped his fingers. "That's it! Your ancestor, Matthew. Maybe he _is_ supposed to capture him!"

"That's a good guess, why didn't _I_ think of that?" He snarled. "I still wanna kill him."

"And I still think you're a jerk. I _won't_ let you do that!"

Casey laughed snidely and circled him. _"You_ won't let me? That'll be the day!"

Jeffrey felt hot tears form again. "I can't stand you! You have no feelings and you treat everybody like garbage! Maybe it would be better if you were _never_ born! I bet _nobody _likes you anyway!"

Jeffrey took off from Casey. He sprinted across the landing and struggled to keep balance. The entire clamor was drowned out by the hum of immense gas burners and giant fans rotating at the bottom of the airship. He hurried down the stairwells, searching for the exit. Casey was right behind him, his long, powerful legs outmatching Jeffrey's youthful speed. He grabbed him and tossed him over his shoulder. Jeffrey put up a fierce struggle and enraged Casey more.

"Go ahead, pound my back, tell me to put you down, but I'm not gonna until you _knock it off!_ Don't you _ever_ run away from me again, or else your friend Bogg won't recognize ya when he gets you back! Do you understand me?" Casey shouted.

He slid Jeffrey off and the boy curled his shoulders and bowed his head submissively. He barely looked him in the eye.

"_Yes…"_

"I'm up _here,_ you look at me when I'm talking to you. Say that again and mean it this time. Bogg might take all this crap from you, but not me!"

Jeffrey took a deep breath and gazed at him fiercely. _"Yes! Okay! Alright!_ I won't run away from you anymore…_Mr._ _Casey!_"

Casey forced a smile. "That's what I like to hear. Now you're gonna follow me. You may be the _Voyager,_ but I'm the _adult_. No more questions and no more complaints, got it?"

"_Yes,_ sir. But you don't…"

"_Ahh ahh ahh! What_ did I _just say?"_ Casey pointed at him and Jeffrey clammed up.

Casey spun around and continued his descent. A few feet away they saw a red and white Exit sign painted in circus lettering above a valve on a blue door. Casey grabbed the wheel and twisted it hard.

Casey couldn't help himself from chewing on Jeffrey's outburst. It hurt him. Most of his life, Casey never cared if people liked him or not. He just did what he had to do, regardless of anyone's feelings. He finally met his match in a 12-year-old boy…and the boy was winning.

Jeffrey caught up to him. He crossed his arms and scowled. He enjoyed beating Major Casey to a pulp in his imagination. He couldn't stand him. All he wanted was to get back to Bogg and forget this voyage ever happened.

**~Oo~**

A sinister voice spoke of the shadows of his darkened lounge; it was laced with scorn and disappointment.

"So this is how you plan to use your genius, floating around the world in a giant balloon with mechanical people for company? How pathetic, Julian! I had hoped my research into your life history was not in vain."

Wilhelm Julian raised his head from his Jules Verne novel and peered through the shadows frightened. His eyes focused the smoke curl from the other man's cigar.

"What the devil! Who are you? How did you get up here?"

The intruder stepped into the lamplight. He was finely dressed in black with a shock of dark hair and coal-dark eyes. He stared coldly at him. Wilhelm considered him to be a Victorian era fop. He took the cigar holder from his mouth and tapped it into the ashtray on the table.

"You may call me Drake, my formal name is unnecessary. I will reveal my secrets, but _first_ I have come to make you a proposition that will turn you into one of the most powerful men the world has ever seen."

Wilhelm closed his book and tossed it on his end table. He stood up briskly and wrung his long, bony hands. His fear of Drake diminished.

"Power…Do you know, Mr. Drake…how troublesome it is to be blessed with a supreme vision and have no one believe in you, or your ideas?"

Drake smiled. "Yes, I can say that I do. That very notion has tormented me for a long time."

"I want to use my gifts and transform this decaying country! I see a terrible future for this world! Mankind is slowly destroying itself!"

Drake calmly took a seat and folded his arms. "Do go on, Julian, why is this world's future so black to you?"

"Mankind has become slaves to their own inventions…" He faltered.

"But, isn't that what you are, Julian? An _inventor?_ Doesn't that make you a slave just as well, only on a higher level…since you're the creator of the inventions?"

Wilhelm paced the room feverishly and lost in thought. He talked rhetorical nonsense while Drake listened bored. He didn't care about this man's beliefs or ideals, he only wanted his own goals established. Drake was on a quest to alter history to a chaotic state that even Voyager Headquarters couldn't maintain. He rose up and grasped Julian's shoulders.

"I've _heard_ all this before. Let's get to the truth of the matter…and that is _absolute domination_. You have the means to do it, and that's why I'm here. With my help, you can prevent historical events from taking place and securing your position as a world leader! You can even…_create _your own events!"

"How so, Mr. Drake?"

Drake pulled a chain from his pocket and held up his silver omni. "With _this_ device…but I will explain about it later, right now we must plan the first strike. This airship is over the Atlantic, where are you headed now?"

Wilhelm sighed and skulked down miserably in his large cushioned chair. "I don't know and I don't care anymore!"

"You _must_ care! I'll tell you where we are going, to New York City, Bedloe Island. Tonight is the inauguration of that copper monstrosity from France they call Liberty. She's that giant symbol who is going to be the beacon of hope for all the poor ingrates from around the world. They are going to barrage into the city and bring this country to ruin, and it will never end. _Trust me_ on that."

Drake held Wilhelm's arm and led him to a window overlooking the ocean. "We can't have that! Why should these wretches look to an immobile statue for their freedom? Why not _you_ instead? Tell me, just how powerful is this air ship and the robots you designed?"

Wilhelm's eyes lit up and he ran to a locked wooden cabinet. He withdrew an armful of blue prints and sketches and scattered them across his pool table. "I'll show you! You will be amazed at my technology! The world leaders would kill to have these and…"

Wilhelm's door slid open and a four-foot tall robot with a globe-shaped head and a brass walrus mustache rolled in. His thick, blue-painted eyes were covered with aviator glasses. He was dressed in blue pilot uniform of the era with gold trimmings and a white Captain's hat. He inched forward and waited to be spoken to.

"_Ah!_ Good evening Captain Goodbody! Mr. Drake, allow me to introduce one of my most esteemed pilots, _Captain Edward Goodbody, III! _Now, Captain Goodbody, I take it you have put the airship on autopilot?"

The machine bobbed his head and opened his mouth, his mustache roved up and down as he talked. The mechanisms in his steel body spun noisily even as he stood motionless.

"Yes, Master Julian, she is now within an hour's range from _New_ York _City._" His robotic tone of voice jumped from high to low, placing hard emphasis on the last words of each sentence. "We have intruders on _board_. Coming from Sector ten and moving in this…_direction."_

"Intruders you say? That's not good, Captain Goodbody! We must increase our security, Captain Goodbody! It seems anyone can get aboard now!"

"Yes, Master _Julian_…we shall _annihilate them._"

Drake stroked his mouth and his eyes narrowed vehemently. There was only one way someone could get onto this aircraft while in mid-flight– with the omni. He glared at the clock on the wall. It was nearing five pm. The torch lighting ceremony would commence later that evening. The president of the United States, Grover Cleveland, would be present to give a speech.

"This airship _is_ going to go to Bedloe Island, and at the precise moment Lady Liberty's torch is lit for the first time, you strike! You _destroy her!_ This is your perfect opportunity to claim your supremacy, Julian!" Drake commanded.

"A most excellent idea, Mr. Drake! You have come into my domain for a reason! In the meanwhile, Captain Goodbody…_release the hounds."_

The lights inside the robot's eyes glowed red and then tempered back to blue. "Yes, Master _Julian_, as you _command."_

"You have dogs on board?" Drake demanded.

"No…" Wilhelm whispered. "That is our secret code for releasing my _test_ robots, they will destroy these intruders."

"_Wait!_ Before they are destroyed, I must see them! I believe I know who they are! They are my enemies! People who are always out to thwart my plans and capture me!"

"_Ahh!_ That is fair! This day is becoming more pleasurable by the moment! Captain Goodbody, do not kill, retrieve them and bring them to me."

Captain Goodbody bobbed his head and wheeled from the room. Drake clasped his hands behind his back and smiled by the window.

"_Yes,_ Julian, It is going to be a most pleasurable evening indeed!"


	10. Visitors to VHQ

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 10: Visitors to VHQ**

Chuck sprawled out on the shiny floor with his eyes and mouth opened in shock. Sarah somersaulted alongside him and rose to her feet with the agility and grace of a feline. Her fingers curled over her holster. Phineas and Bobby rolled up to a sitting position.

Phineas rubbed his head and held his stomach. "A _very_ bad idea to use the omni right after breakfast…"

His gaze followed Sarah as she circled the pale, blue-lit room with fear and distrust. She seemed unaffected by the voyage and promptly went about peering at the two-way mirror that covered the back wall, and examining the panels and buttons alongside it. Phineas saw she spent years of practice hiding her emotions. He wanted badly to get the gun out of her possession. From his brief dalliance in 2008, it seemed that many people relied heavily on them. Still, he was thankful it wasn't the Old West. Nearly getting his head and tuba blown off by Billy the Kid was something he didn't want to experience again.

Phineas leaned over and gave Chuck a poke in the ribs. _"Hey,_ Chuck, we made it, you can move now."

Chuck tilted his head warily and scurried up when he saw everyone else brushed off the effects of the cosmic trip. He shook out his clothes and patted himself down to make sure he was bodily intact.

"That was the most fantastic thing I've ever done! I can't believe it! This tops everything the CIA and NSA ever asked me to do!"

"You mean like _stay in the car?_ I don't recall us asking you to do anything else. The rest was all you…disobeying our orders." Sarah said with a hand on her hip.

"Sarah, be fair. I've been asked to do a lot lately, remember the poison incident…" Chuck didn't finish. Sarah didn't realize that he also saved her life from his ex-girlfriend Jill. He managed to lure Jill away and trap her in the Nerd Herd.

"Yeah…that's true, we can mention it because Casey's not here. I'm just teasing you, Chuck." She smiled.

Chuck stared at every surface of the room. "This looks like the blue room in _Quantum Leap_, so, do you guys carry around a Ziggy and wear flashy silver jackets…well, maybe a gold one with a big V on the back?" He asked Bobby. "I'm just waiting for Al to come through that door right now!"

Bobby laughed. "This is our own version of the waiting room so to speak. We _do_ have devices…but they're in a controlled environment, which is where we are heading now. And, sorry mate, but the campus 'V' hoodies are strictly for citizens of Planet Voyager."

"_Dang!_ I wanted a welcome basket or something…a 'V' pencil would be cool, omni key-chain, V totes and T-shirts, boxers! Clocks and notebooks! You guys could be making a _fortune_ with this stuff. I can open you a _Café Press _account and run it from Earth. Do you do _Ebay?_ _Etsy's_ cool, but maybe a little to artsy-fartsy for you guys. Then again, with the omni and pirate here you do have this cosmic _Steampunk_ edge we can work with."

Chuck babbled on making silly plans. They all laughed at him and Bobby punched in a code on the wall panel. The hidden door slid open to reveal a wide corridor bathed in natural light.

"Sorry, Chuck, but just like you fellas in the Secret Service, our work is clandestine_._ There's no time for tours until we get a solid reading on Major Casey and Jeffrey. Everyone follow me, we'll be at the OCC in a jiffy." Bobby said.

"Don't feel so bad, Chuck. It's just a boring bunch of Academy classes." Phineas consoled him.

"It was only boring because you barely passed, Phin." Bobby replied.

Phineas rolled his eyes. "Well, you expect a rapscallion pirate like me to suddenly sit still in a _classroom_ and listen to boring professors drone on about Quantum physics and time mechanics?"

Chuck nodded. "He's got a good point."

"I guess all you need to know is how to work that omni and solve the historical problems." Sarah mused.

"Exactly, I don't need to know the science behind it, or the mathematical equations, it's a job. It's fun, adventurous, heroic…_great stuff!"_

The building was enclosed in dome shaped windows and as they strode down, Chuck plastered himself against the glass and looked out. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he didn't imagine that parts of Voyager Headquarters could resemble the Stanford campus.

Students of varying ages strolled around the huge complex lugging books, knapsacks, and even bagged lunches. Bobby led them to an exit so they could actually stand outdoors. Chuck laughed and pointed out students who decided to wear authentic clothing from their own era. The sky differed greatly from earth. It exploded with brilliant hues and blended deep reds, pinks, and purple tones. The atmosphere was completely unpolluted. Chuck and Sarah never smelled or breathed fresher air. Chuck pointed up ecstatic as the sun set into the horizon beyond distant mountains.

"Oh man, you have _two_ moons!"

Sarah was equally impressed, and adored Chuck's enthusiasm.

"That's really amazing. I've heard of this, but never imagined I'd see it."

"Sure, it makes for quite a bright evening." Bobby replied.

"I remember being freaked out by that." Phineas said. "I thought for sure they had two _suns_ and we'd burn up."

"The universe is much more calculated and intricately designed than that, all the suns are in their proper orbit. We're perfectly safe." Bobby assured everyone.

"I guess so, my eyes weren't popping out of my head like Schwarzenegger in _Total recall_. You remember, when he got caught outside the dome on Mars…_and…"_

Everyone stared at him and Chuck dropped his rambling. "Well, anyway, onward and forward to this Omni Control Center."

**~Oo~**

The massive OCC sector was filled with all sorts of cubicles, computers, and flashing trackers that reminded Chuck of the technology in the Castle base. The Omnibus exploded with data and red and green lights flickered around electronic maps on a twenty-foot wide screen. The OCC bustled with activity and Sarah noticed the employees seemed unusually harried. Chuck observed that the red lights on the screen far outnumbered the greens.

"This can't be good, right? How does Headquarters know which Voyager to send and where?"

"Depending on the year and date of the interference, we assign Voyagers who graduated from a particular class."

"Right, my omni only went up to 1970, so anytime between…_uhh_…I think it's 1450BC and 1970, I can hit." Phineas said.

"Our database is very thorough and complex. We've spent countless years streamlining and developing it, and it's a never-ending process for improvement." Bobby finished.

"I would think so, you have the fate of the entire universe on your hands." Chuck said.

"Wow, Phineas, that's a few thousand years worth of history under your belt. I can't blame you for being exhausted and just happy to have a decent bed to sleep in." Sarah said.

"Yeah, it gets rough, especially now that I have Jeffrey to worry about. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sarah smiled gently at him. Phineas called _her_ the enigma, but she felt the same about him. She made a quick mental comparison of him and Chuck. Chuck surely would have towed the boy on his adventures if he were in Phineas' shoes. Phineas' eyes reminded her of Bryce Larkin. Even though their relationship was over and done with, she still felt a twinge of regret whenever she saw Bryce and left with a nagging, _'what if?'_ She felt similar regrets about Chuck. She was stressed that she couldn't admit her growing emotions for him. She wondered if Phineas had any advice on the subject.

Bobby stood before the Omnibus with his arms crossed and he shook his head. A pretty brunette with a clipboard in her arms and pens in her upswept hair approached him and dropped vital statistics. She smiled at the group and rifled her papers at Bobby.

"Sorry to interrupt, but these are vital."

"Excuse me a moment, mates, this is my assistant, Tina Bradley."

Chuck turned to Phineas. "So, what do we do about this?"

"We have to wait and see what he says. I need to get a replacement omni before we leave anyway."

Chuck's attention turned to the screen. _"Uh,_ Phineas, what happens when an omni light shuts off?"

Phineas hurried to the screen, he couldn't make heads or tails of it, but he knew what to expect.

"Chuck, it _could_ mean that we lost a Voyager."

Chuck gripped the chair in front of him. "That can't be. How do you know the person is actually _dead?_ It's only monitoring the activity of the omnis, not their…life…their _vitals, _right?" He looked to Sarah for support and she put an arm over his shoulder.

Phineas sighed. "You could be right, Chuck, it's just that an omni off the grid is an extreme cause for alarm."

"That's right, and that's what's happening to Phineas' omni right now. We can't get that location fix and it's subsequently creating more red lights. I just received more disturbing news." Bobby announced.

Phineas gulped and pressed his lips tight, he would not let them see him cry. The red lights proved that something went drastically wrong with Jeffrey and Casey time zone.

"This tidal wave of inconsistent history is about to reach 2008…Tina, bring up the 3-D simulation."

"What simulation? What are you talking about, Bobby? Just tell us!" Sarah demanded.

Chuck gaped at the monitor. A map of California shook and quivered. The colors of the Earthquake's seismic intensity changed from a pale blue to blood red, right in the heart of the state and across the San Andreas fault line. Tina zoomed in closer to what would soon be left of Burbank – debris, rubble and dust.

"What the hell is this? That says there's a _10.0_ _magnitude!_ They only prepared us for 7.8! We're not just talking about California! Mexico will be flat as a tortilla! This is going to disrupt the entire planet! Tsunamis! Volcanoes! _You knew_ this was gonna happen and you brought us here! My sister is out there! My friends…our friends…our families! Ellie's a doctor and so is her fiancée Devon, they'll be caught right in the middle if they go to the hospital to help! They could be dead now!"

Chuck fumed and kicked the chair across the room. Phineas felt sorry for him and rushed to retrieve it. There was no need to explain to a California native the severity of a major earthquake.

Bobby drew a hand across his neck. "Tina, cut it now."

"Chuck, listen to me." Phineas grabbed his shoulders. "It will happen because something has gone _wrong_ in the _past, _when we find that error, I'm going back to fix it."

Chuck shrugged him off. _"Correction, _Voyager_. We_ are going back to fix it. There was no point in bringing us here if we can't help you!"

"We had every reason in the world, Chuck. You're…you're the _Intersect_; even we know the ramifications of what could happen if that's lost." Bobby said.

"I don't care about crappy Government secrets in my brain. My family and friends are gone. If I didn't have this, I'd fall through the fault line too!"

"This is only a _potential_ future, the past will be resolved and it doesn't have to happen this way at all. _Trust us,_ mate! Time modification is our bizzo, but we need you safe regardless."

"You know, I think I trust this Voyager planet more than the U.S Government. They don't care about me as a _person!_"

"Chuck, that's not true!" Sarah scolded him.

"Yes it is! Maybe _you_ care a little more, but not General Beckman, not the White House or whoever this Intersect belongs to. I'm just a commodity, aren't I? I bet they knew this earthquake was gonna happen too!"

Sarah didn't know how to answer him. Lately she sensed there was a deeper mystery surrounding the new Intersect project and General Beckman. She also suspected Casey was in on it too.

Phineas approached him again. "Chuck, it's true you're an asset, but I know for sure that…you're _loved_. We're going to fix this _together. _Bobby, did we get any readings on Jeff and Casey?"

Bobby shook his head. "We're trying, by God, we're trying hard. We can't even begin to correctly alter these red lights if we don't find the original source."

"Then keep working on it." Phineas snapped his fingers. "Hey! You said that the blips started sometime in the late 19th century and it involved Casey's ancestor, isn't there a way to trace major historical foul ups from that point on?"

"_Crikey!_ Good idea, Phin! I'll have Tina pull the records from the database and get a bunch of these blokes to check off the history books in the Voyager Archives Library. I have a bad feeling there's some shonky bizzo going down and I think I know who's responsible!"

Chuck looked at Bobby oddly. "_Shonky…bizzo?_"

"He means underhanded business." Sarah explained. "It's Aussie slang."

"Oh…well…then who's responsible for all this _shonkyness_?"

"I know exactly who, _besides _Wilhelm Julian." Phineas said. "It's Voyager Drake. He wants nothing better than to make the world over according to his own design. Jeff and I stopped him many times. In fact, he's the reason I lost the omni in the first place."

"So is this Drake the _uh_…resident villain in Voyager world? It's all about stopping him?" Chuck pondered.

"Sorta…he gets in the way from time to time."

"Sarah, do we have any resident villains?"

"Right now it's Fulcrum, but there's too many of them to count." She replied.

"I guess that's why we've been at this over a year already…you know sometimes I feel like everyone I meet for the first time or from my past either turns out to be a good spy, Fulcrum spy…or just a really big narc that works at the Buy More." Chuck said.

"Hey, you know Voyagers do a whole lot, it's not so much about the bad guys as it is fixing red lights and helping others. That's what drives us."

"That's true, Phin _but_…" Bobby placed a brand new black leather Guidebook in Phineas' hands. "You won't last much more than a year if you keep relying on Jeffrey's 7th grade exposure to history. That can only go so far, ya know?"

Phineas tossed the book from hand to hand. He forgot how heavy it was. "I _know,_ but me and the kid do okay."

"There's always syndication and fan fiction…" Chuck said quietly. and the others glanced at him strange. He looked up and shrugged. _"Ahh,_ nothing, I was just thinking of something stupid…so, what can we do now?"

Bobby tapped on the Omnibus screen and traced an invisible line between the red lights. "Now, we do some research into Major Casey's past… and pray the omni gets located."


	11. Robots and regrets

**Chapter 11: Robots and regrets**

Jeffrey feared what lay beyond the blue door, but Casey stormed right through without a second thought. The sector was as big as the first with even wider landings and more steel trappings criss-crossing from the zeppelin's skin.

"We're close to the interior rooms, the lighting's changed…_heh_…nice Tiffany lamps, but I want to get to that cabin!" Casey snarled.

The resonating hum of the engine and propellers abruptly cut off and startled Jeffrey. He ran to Casey and clutched his arm.

"What was that? What's going on?"

Casey shrugged him off, still peeved from his insult. "Nothing. It's probably just shifting gears or something, relax."

Jeffrey backed away. The hairs on his neck tingled and he eyed four enormous steel doors outlined with brass rivets.

"I don't like this! I think something's wrong, we should get out of here, Casey."

"What do you think I'm trying to do? I have to figure out the next exit."

Jeffrey pointed across the landing at the smallest red door. "It's probably that one, the one that… says…_exit."_ He faltered under Casey's angry glare.

"Thank you, _genius!_ I don't know where I'd be without you!"

Jeffrey resisted the temptation to slug him; he would lose that battle quick. But his sharp tongue won over.

"You'd probably be frozen dead in old New York…or zapped down by one of those stupid robots! That's _where!_ You wouldn't have a clue about any of this if I wasn't here. You better be nice to me, or else I'll…"

Casey drew up his hands in mock fright. "Or else _what?_ You'll give me the evil eye and and turn me into a Jack-in-the-box? Listen Jeffrey, I'm tired of squabbling, you just keep your mouth shut and follow my lead and I'll get us out of here in one piece."

Jeffrey backed against one of the brass doors. _"Me,_ keep _my _mouth _shut?_ You're just as bad! Always complaining and grunting and grumbling! I've got a migraine already! I pity your kids!"

Casey slammed the railing but wouldn't face him. "I don't have kids and if they were anything like _you…"_ Casey held off from saying he'd kill himself. That was taking the matter of a precocious child due for a spanking much too far.

"…let's just say my kids would respect me!"

"I want to respect you! But you make it hard. It's better for any kid you're _not_ a father! I pity anyone that has to deal with you all the time! I can imagine how mean you are to Chuck and Sarah. It's probably a vacation for them to be away from you!"

Casey's nostrils flared and he was shocked as tears stung his eyes. He wasn't going to take anymore from the runt. Casey shook Jeffrey's shoulders.

"Are you finished? If you're trying to hurt me, it isn't working, so _can it!" _

"Can it? That's _my_ line!"

Casey looked at him confused. "Your _line?_ What are you talking about? _Arrhh,_ forget it! Get away from that door. I'm leaving now whether you come or not."

"You can't leave! Remember, I have the..." Jeffrey felt by his belt loop and gasped. "How did you…?"

Casey held up the omni and clipped it to his pants. He grinned smugly. "In this world you gotta be _slick_…and you gotta be _quick._ Besides, we won't get far anyway, this omni is fizzing out. But either way, now _I _have it and if you want it back you follow me!"

Casey stalked down the landing. Jeffrey sighed and peeled himself off the door. Even though Casey tricked him, he felt a deep sense of victory. Jeffrey noticed Casey's emotional wall crumble, but he also also felt bad for the stressed out Major. He knew he was being just as cruel to him, but that was the only thing Casey seemed to understand – cruelty, brutality, and anger…loads of anger.

Jeffrey remembered his first voyages with Phineas Bogg. Half the time they were at each others throats, but it was never too serious until Bogg struck a nerve. In a fit of frustration, Bogg accused Jeffrey of killing his own father with his attitude. That prompted a huge display of anger and tears and Bogg apologized profusely. He didn't realize that Jeffrey's parents died in a camper accident. They were literally burned to death inside after it ran off the road and struck trees. Jeffrey witnessed it all and blamed himself because he couldn't get any one to stop and help. To this day the tragedy haunted him, but Phineas proved to be an emotional support and shoulder to lean on.

"Casey…_Casey_…_wait!_ Listen, I'm sorry! You're right. I don't want to fight with you…_"_

Casey turned halfway through the red door. His anger dissipated. Jeffrey's apology went unfinished. The riveted doors screeched and opened from the center. The lamp lights flickered and an alarming beeping noise filled the zeppelin. Jeffrey didn't know which direction to run. A low thumping built up like the leisurely gait of a giant with metal boots.

_'Oh my God! They look like robots from my erector set!'_ Jeffrey thought.

Four robots, fifteen foot robots encircled the room. Two moved on wheels, and the others had iron legs. They prepared to make a capture. Their eyes glowed red and the largest raised an arm and thrust its skeletal hand out to grab him.

"Jeffrey! _Run!_ You can make it this way! Come on!" Casey urged him.

It was too late. The robot zoomed in Jeffrey's direction and lifted him high.

"_Aughhh!_ Help me! Casey!" He kicked and thrashed around.

The robot kept Jeffrey suspended. Casey shouted and ran to the robot's legs.

"Let him go, ya tin can!" Casey kicked and punched at it, but he couldn't make a dent except in his own bones. He stopped before he broke a limb.

The robot's eyes burned silver. His fingers opened and he dropped Jeffrey. Casey held out his arms and swayed left to right in hopes of making a decent catch. Jeffrey fell atop him and knocked him on the floor. He wouldn't climb off Casey.

"I'm sorry_,_ Casey! Please stay with me!" He begged. He sounded much younger than his twelve years and Casey felt a surge of pity.

"Alright, kid, alright! You know I'm not gonna leave you behind…we'll _get out_ of this!" He shouted above the loud buzzing and patted his back.

A sliding compartment on another robot's chest opened and silver netting sprung out and covered them.

_"Oww!_ I can't get it off! _Help!" _Jeffrey cried.

Casey gripped and pulled at the netting, but only succeeded in cutting his fingers. The robots edged closer.

_"INTRUDERS, INTRUDERS, INTRUDERS, INTRUDERS." _

They lifted the netting until Jeffrey and Casey bunched inside. A strong tingling sensation coursed through Casey's body. The robots attempted to electrocute them inside the metal mesh. The currents came gradually. Casey didn't want Jeffrey to absorb the shocks from his body, but they were literally stuck together. The jolts coursed through Jeffrey and his body skipped and jumped with each charge.

"Wh…wh…what's happening!"

"It's electrocution, Jeffrey! _Hold on!_ They're not gonna kill us, I know it! They're just…"

Jeffrey put his face in Casey's chest and clung to him for protection. There was nothing Casey could do, so he held the boy until he saw his eyelids flutter and felt his body go limp.

"_Aww_ _No!_ Dammit!" Casey shouted at the ceiling. "If you're watching, stop it, Julian! You'll kill him!"

Casey was a six foot-four adult trained to withstand shock treatment, but the electric jolts kept striking him and a few minutes later, Casey blacked out.

**~Oo~**

Icy water splashed on Casey's face and his eyes flew open. He was trapped in a cage like an animal and Jeffrey was not with him. His head throbbed and his body felt cold. Thick chains manacled his hands and feet.

"Get _up!"_ An arrogant voice demanded. "Whoever you are! I don't remember you from the Academy or Headquarters."

Casey blinked and adjusted his vision to the muted lighting.

"Where am I?"

"I was expecting another man to be with the boy. Who are _you?_ Where's Phineas Bogg?"

Casey finally saw the man. He scooted up and partially crossed his legs for more comfort. "Wouldn't you like to know? So you want him too, _huh?_ He's just that desirable! I have to learn Bogg's secret. What's your attraction?"

Drake rattled the cage. "I asked you a question! The boy won't tell me! He's my pawn…however you…"

"Me, _what?_ Who the hell are you? Wait, let me guess…you're _Drake!_ The man with no first name who frolics through time and and screws things up! Where's Jeffrey Jones?"

_"Ahh,_ so he's told you about me. Jeffrey is being prepared for the Liberty inauguration. You see, Mr. _Casey_…I have no qualms with you, it's Bogg and the boy I'm after. Julian on the other hand…well...he has his own vendetta against the Casey clan."

Drake opened the bars and hoisted the weakened Casey to his feet.

"I can't figure you out yet…but no matter. As soon as I deal with the boy, Wilhelm will clue me in on how to deal with the Caseys!"

Drake shoved him down a hallway carpeted in plush, burgundy velvet. Casey walked stiffly; he couldn't make an attack with his shackled limbs. Drake halted by a mahogany door and pushed it open.

"After you, Mr. Casey."

Casey stumbled into the cabin and took in the layout and the navigational system in the far left. A brass robot with a Captain's hat stood at the helm bobbing side to side in full control of the aircraft. Wilhelm Julian calmly sipped red wine and was seated in a brown armchair. He stood up and grinned.

"So glad you can join us, Matthew! How is the darling Colleen?"

Casey's muscles felt like gelatin, but he fought the wooziness. He cracked a smile at the antiques madman.

"Maybe you need glasses, Julian. I'm _not_ Matthew!"

Julian raised his electric lamp lights higher and studied Casey. "He's right! Matthew is a young buck in his twenties. _But_…you _must _be a Casey! It's what the boy called you! You…you look just like him…it's _remarkable!"_

"What can I say? I have strong genes. Now _where_ is Jeffrey?" Casey growled. His strength returned as his temper flared.

Wilhelm danced around and clapped excited. _"Ahh,_ Jeffrey! Mr. Drake came up with an ingenious idea! It's stupendous!"

Julian ran near the helm and untied a set of scarlet drapes. They covered over an enormous curved window with a panoramic view of the sky. Through the darkness, Manhattan came clear view. The robot turned in the direction of the Statue of Liberty.

"Captain Goodbody, our Mr. Casey would like to see young Jeffrey, and I believe it's time to release the weapon." Julian ordered.

"Yes, Master _Julian."_

"What weapon?" It dawned on Casey. "You…you're the one who destroyed the statue!"

The robot pulled a gilded lever near the ship's wheel. Casey watched apprehensive as a compartment attached to the outside base of the cabin opened. A giant copper structure in the shape of a ship's wheel gradually rose. The center of the wheel opened and a cylinder component ejected. Jeffrey was strapped to the front of the cylinder.

Casey banged the glass. "You bastards! You're going to shoot that laser with him on it! _I won't let you!"_

Casey lunged at Julian and knocked him down. Julian got in a few punches, but Casey socked his jaw. He poised to fully beat on him when a sharp jolt pierced his side. Drake stepped back and blew smoke off his weapon. Casey rolled off Julian and clutched his middle.

"_Arghh_! A taser? Let Jeffrey go! Put _me _on there!"

"Not when I can finally have my revenge without Bogg to stop me!" Drake seethed.

"He may not be here, _but I am!"_

Casey found his footing and rushed toward Drake, but the chains slowed him down. Drake pushed a button on his taser and a red bolt shot out at Casey's chest and slammed him onto the floor. Casey crawled to the window and caught Jeffrey's gaze. Tears streamed down the boy's face and he jostled his binds in a desperate request for help. He kept his face turned from the blustery winds. Casey tapped the glass and sank down with his head in his arms. His heart pounded.

"I'm so sorry, kid. I _am _worthless…_"_ He mumbled in profound regret as pains radiated through his body. He failed everyone.

Julian bounded over and kicked him onto his side. He gripped his swollen jaw. "You keep trying to be the hero, Casey, and you'll be fried before the boy is!"

The clock struck six-forty five pm. Julian rushed to the helm delighted and kissed Captain Goodbody's head.

_"Wonderful!_ In fifteen minutes, I will conquer Manhattan…and no one will stop me!"


	12. Alterations & love complications

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 12: Alterations and love complications**

**October 26th** **1886 (6:58pm)**

_"We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."_

United States President Grover Cleveland stepped down from the podium and proudly showed off Lady Liberty's brilliant torch. Upon seeing the horrified faces of the crowd he lowered his husky arms and gazed into the night sky. A giant airship fast approached and an intense static filled the air. Everyone's body hairs to rose and their hearing went numb from a high pitched frequency.

"What the devil is _that?"_ The President cried out. "What is happening?"

A long shaft of blue light emerged from an open compartment on the airship and zapped the statue in the mid section. Liberty was sliced in half. The crowds screamed as the upper body rocked back and forth and swayed as if alive. The President's bodyguards dragged him to an escape sailboat. President Cleveland turned his face away from the scene. The Statue's famed sculptor and architect, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, fell into the torch flames with an agonized scream. The blue laser shot out again, and the statue's head flew off. It bounced onto a terrified crowd of people and slammed on the left side of the Island. The statue finally gave out and its upper body toppled. It crushed anyone left in the area. The laser struck a final time and spliced the immense feet. The lower half collapsed into heaps of metallic ruins. It crumbled the stone base underneath and a thick cloud of dust rose up and obscured the entire island.

The airship floated past the devastation as if nothing were amiss. Mission accomplished.

Liberty was dead…and freedom demolished.

**September 24th** **2007 (On a skyscraper rooftop in the heart of Burbank. Late night)**

"Sarah! _Woah, woah_…hold on a sec! Was I _not _supposed to look at those pictures?"

Sarah Walker was about to answer the distraught Chuck Bartowski's questions but deep chill ran down her spine. She glared at him and hoped he would understand.

"Okay, I may have to aim my gun at you, so just don't freak out!"

Chuck was already on the verge of a breakdown after receiving a confounding email from his ex-college roommate Bryce Larkin. The email uploaded thousands of cryptic images into his brain. He couldn't make sense of anything in the last two days and now the gorgeous woman who accepted a date turned out to be a CIA Agent.

They barely made it out alive from a car chase that ended with the Nerd Herd mobile smashed in the building's garage. He still wondered how he would to tell Big Mike the awful news. He saw his Assistant Manager position whisk away into his cloud of broken dreams, and Harry Tang's obnoxious, gloating face came into view. Chuck's glory days at the Buy More were numbered.

He could only stammer out one word. _"Why?"_

Sarah kept her gun steady and didn't respond. A man walked out of the shadows with a vicious grin. He ran a gnarled hand through his silver hair and straightened his black tie. He twirled a toothpick across his full lips.

"Well, well, well…_two_ birds with one stone. This is going to be good."

Sarah tried to control her shuddering. Major Robert Bradshaw was the meanest and cruelest assassin the NSA employed. He was also a loose cannon rumored to be on the take with chief institutions and Government officials around the world. If you so much as blinked the wrong way he would kill you in a heartbeat. She already imagined what his initial orders were – take Chuck Bartowski alive and leave her for dead. She played it cool.

"Nice to see you, Bradshaw. It's been a while…don't be too hasty." She warned.

Bradshaw cocked his gun and aimed it straight at Chuck's heart. He moved closer. Chuck cringed and wondered how the man got the five inch scar that ran from his upper lip to his right temple. Murder emanated from his pale eyes.

"I'm _never _hasty, Agent Walker. I know exactly what I'm doing. This man is coming with me, the NSA wants him."

"I can't let you take him! Chuck Bartowski is our only key to finding the Intersect, Major!" Sarah replied.

Bradshaw raised his gun higher, and the red dot glowed in the center of Chuck's forehead. Chuck couldn't take the incessant tingling in his legs; he only had one way of escape. He turned and raced a few feet to the ledge. Both Sarah and Bradshaw cried out for him to stop.

Chuck threw his arms out and tottered. He pulled back just in time. He saw a hotel building across the way. His mind abruptly went blank and hundreds of images flashed before his eyes, including one of the Serbian assassin who tried to kill him in the Large Mart earlier that day. He raised his arms slowly.

"They're gonna kill him." He mumbled.

"Who's going to kill who?" Bradshaw barked.

"General Stanfield! The NATO guy who's making a public address at that hotel on the other side of the street! Any minute now he's gonna die!"

Sarah looked at Chuck incredulously. "How do you know that?"

Bradshaw heard enough. He curled his hairy finger over the trigger. "He's a _covert_ working with that punk Bryce Larkin…and now he has to die! I already made sure I put Bryce on ice...nice, slow and painful!"

"He's _dead? _Oh no! I'm not working with him! I'm a computer technician! I'm not a spy! I keep seeing all these images ever since I opened Bryce's email. I don't know what they are! All I know is the CIA and NSA both know about the Serb…please believe me!"

Bradshaw shrugged nonchalantly. "All lies."

"No! Don't kill him! He knows about the Intersect! He can lead us to it!"

Sarah rushed for Bradshaw, but it was too late. His gun went off and Chuck never knew what hit him as his body plummeted to the concrete hundreds of feet below. Sarah fired a shot with unusually shaking hands and just missed Bradshaw's shoulder.

Bradshaw whipped around and shot twice. Sarah slumped on the roof floor, her eyes glazed. He twirled his weapon, wiped it off and shoved it into Sarah's cold hands, making sure her fingerprints were on the trigger. He stuffed her gun into his holster. His men came up and he pretended to check her pulse.

"Men, over here! We got two down! I knew this Agent was rogue! She was working with Larkin! She killed Chuck Bartowski, you'll find him scattered all over the pavement. I tried to stop her, but it was too late. She didn't even give him a chance to explain. It looks like we've lost the Intersect forever."

The other NSA Agents all stood at firm attention, but extreme fear crossed their faces. The fate of the Country rested on the information the Intersect provided. Bradshaw grunted and stumbled to his feet. At fifty-five, he was getting too old for all this dirty work.

"Bag her…and hurry up and get the guy's body before too many other people notice. Make sure to clean it all before the morning. We don't want any traces left, do you understand?"

The other three saluted and dragged Sarah away. Bradshaw shook his head and popped a piece of gum in his mouth. Chuck Bartowski had family and friends. They would have to be dealt with too in case they knew something about the Intersect. He leaned on the ledge of the rooftop and checked his watch. In exactly five minutes the hotel would explode. He hoped the Serbian didn't foul up the plan. He made a mental checklist of which countries to call and tell the good news. Now all their secrets were safe and it was time for them to pay up. His hard work didn't come for free.

**~Oo~**

Phineas Bogg realized that Chuck Bartowski was a smart man. Chuck overcame his uncertainty and insisted on helping Bobby and the archivists locate traces of Casey's past. The Matthew Casey and Colleen Baldwin line ruptured along with thousands of others on October 26th, 1886. They found portraits and clerical records. The images of Matthew and his likeness to Casey startled both Sarah and Chuck. There were no further records of the couple's existence beyond 1886, even though Chuck discovered the ship logs that transported them from Chicago to New York City.

"It says there was a delay because of a mechanical failure. Their ship didn't arrive until a few hours _after _the inauguration." Chuck said. "But if the Caseys survived…there's no telling for how long. We don't know why they disappeared. There's no reports of them ever returning to Chicago on VHQ's Time Frequency Database…but your _paper files_ of the ship logs subsequent to the torch lighting say different… they were back on the boat two weeks after the inauguration. I don't understand it!"

Bobby discussed with Sarah, Chuck, and Phineas about what he coined the 'safe haven' theory. For as long as Chuck and Sarah remained on Planet Voyager, their lives were spared the grisly fate that the Omnibus recorded from Planet Earth's current time line. Since Major John Casey never existed, a corrupted NSA Agent caused a dreadful chain of events when he destroyed the Intersect. This catastrophe, as well as the 10.0 Earthquake that struck California would be restored to normal once they discovered Jeffrey and Casey's location.

The news unsettled Chuck so much that Sarah thought he would go into a state of shock. However Chuck was resilient. He immediately went back to his research and Sarah took it as a sign that he needed to be alone with his thoughts.

An hour later, Phineas quietly placed a cup of coffee before Sarah on the console. Chuck had his head down and lightly snored. All his worrying, pacing and brain wracking wore him out. Phineas motioned her to go with him. Sarah picked up her cup and sipped it. It was strong and slightly sweet, one of the best she ever drank. She drank half and left it aside. Sarah realized Phineas needed to get out of the OCC as much as anyone. She stroked Chuck's hair and brushed the curls from his eyes. He shifted, but didn't wake up.

Sarah literally felt her pupils dilate once they left the dim room. She didn't realize how long they stared at nothing but blinking computer monitors and data feeds. Phineas felt the same and they both rubbed their eyes.

_"Woah_…now I know why I shun this area when I visit Headquarters." Phineas admitted. "I'm pretty much computer illiterate, but I try."

"It's headache inducing after a while. Casey is actually the computer savvy one with all the cool gadgets at home. I prefer bright, natural lighting in my apartment."

Sarah gazed at him. His eyes were bloodshot and she realized it was not all from artificial lighting. Phineas curled his mouth sadly and cleared his throat.

"Would you like to go out front for a bit?" He held his hands up quickly. "I _promise,_ no funny stuff. I _know _what you're capable of."

Sarah sighed and bade him to put his arms down. "You know that I'm capable of understanding, and in-depth conversation and friendship? That's so intuitive." She noted with a slow smile.

Phineas' face warmed. With all the excitement he didn't have a chance to see Sarah's true beauty. There was gentleness in her features that he hadn't fully noticed before since he feared she'd wag the gun in his face. When Sarah walked ahead of him with her head down, he groaned. She saw his glare of attraction. He couldn't control the sensitive sparkle that lit up his blue eyes whenever he felt this way. He hurried to catch up and grabbed the door.

_"Umm_…after you, Sarah."

"Thank you, Phineas. You're a real gentleman."

Outside, dazzling beams of moonlight bathed over her and Phineas held back a gasp. She was ethereal. He cursed his pants for not having pockets and put his hands on his hips, then tentatively crossed his arms and rubbed his hair.

"Stunning night, isn't it? Those two moons amaze me."

Sarah stared into the purple jeweled sky and tilted her head toward him.

"It's glorious. We always take the grandeur of the universe for granted, don't we?"

"I'll say…when I was a pirate, I remember just laying out on the deck and counting the stars, but it was completely moot. They're uncountable."

Phineas noticed Sarah's eyes take on a watery, green radiance and her pale, delicate throat moved up and down as she swallowed back tears. He wondered about the last time she ever received a plain hug from a friend. He couldn't let the moment pass. He gently moved his arm across her back and his other over her shoulder. Sarah's breath shuddered and she fell into his strong arms and wept. For over a minute she was at a loss for words as Phineas held her close.

"It's okay, Sarah. Everything is gonna be okay. I have a lot of confidence…enough for all of us." He imagined how she felt to hear of her own demise, and the fact that she couldn't save Chuck in the current time-line on earth.

His tears were dangerously close to falling. Sarah pulled away intensely relieved and wiped her nose. She smiled at him.

"It looks like we both have a lot to cry about."

"Yeah…for those we love." He sniffled.

Sarah feigned surprise. _"Love?_ What do you mean?"

Phineas kicked the grass around. "I mean just that…_love._ I love Jeffrey and I miss him terribly. When Bobby told us the alternate history I felt like I wanted to…" Phineas exhaled and he shook his head to battle his tears again.

"Like you wanted to die." She finished.

_"Exactly!_ No matter how much I console myself that this history is not set in stone, it crushes my heart to know he died and I wasn't there to help him. What went through his mind? Did he call out for me? If Casey didn't make it, then I _know_ he didn't."

Sarah held his arm. "I understand. When Bobby told me what happened to Chuck in the other…_reality…_I felt the same way."

"You _love him,_ Sarah. You just can't admit it because of your work. Hey, you probably have a little place in your heart for Casey, since he's your partner. I understand. Our work…our oath to serve a greater cause makes us sacrifice a whole lot."

Sarah pondered what he said and reflected on Casey's words to her. He once told her that they made a choice to protect something bigger than themselves, and they had to put personal feelings aside, because it was the right choice. Phineas' job as a Voyager was not much different. She wondered about the life and people he gave up, but she decided not ask. He already had enough on his mind.

She raised her shoulders resigned. "Am I that obvious, Phineas?"

"It's all in your eyes…and motions. I saw the way you touched Chuck before you left the OCC. A woman would only do that for the man she loved." He said.

"If only he really knew. I keep pushing him away and one day I'm afraid he'll forget about me and move on. Everything about our relationship is so complicated." Sarah chuckled. "He hates when I use that word. It drives him up a wall."

"Chuck said the same thing…about things being complicated. I doubt that would ever happen, Sarah. Chuck would never forget you. I imagine you're indelibly stamped in his subconscious thanks to the Intersect. I think he _does_ know how you feel, but he also understands the importance of your mission with Casey. Don't give up on him yet. I've come to believe that love is the strongest force in this universe."

Sarah put an arm over Phineas' shoulder. "How much do you charge an hour again?" She joked.

Phineas kissed the top of her head and pulled away so she didn't get the wrong idea. She didn't seem to mind his gesture and stroked his cheek. They gazed at one another and slowly leaned closer and their lips made brief, sweet contact. Phineas sighed and pulled away. Sarah looked down, her confused emotions stirred once again.

"The first sessions are always free, Sarah, but for some reason my patients _never_ come back." He laughed. As much as he desired to kiss her deeper, something didn't feel right. She belonged to one man only.

Phineas turned to go into the complex and Sarah clutched his arm.

_"Wait_…thank you, Phineas. You're a great guy and I'm sorry I was so much trouble earlier."

Phineas waved his hand at her. _"Ahh…_you were just doing your job, and you do it really well."

Sarah shook her head. _"No_…I know the guns disturbed you and I promise I'll never point one at you again. Somehow I feel that you and…"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Sarah felt an overwhelming rush of grief as she stared into his tranquil face. The idea of Phineas and those weapons would never mix.

"What is it, Sarah?"

"Never mind. I just had another thought…it's nothing."

Phineas shrugged with a wink. "Okay, then. Do you wanna go inside now?"

Sarah let his arm loose, embarrassed. "Of course…maybe they found something out in the last ten minutes."

"We can only hope…_oh,_ and Sarah?"

"Yes?"

"Don't wait too long to tell Chuck that you love him. That's the biggest regret all humanity shares."

**~Oo~**

The OCC brimmed to life again as the night crews began their shift. Chuck was awake and he gazed at the Omnibus in deep thought.

_'If Casey's family disappeared right after the inauguration and the Statue of Liberty was destroyed…'_

He leaned over the keyboard and typed fast. It occurred to him they neglected one big aspect of this tragedy – Reports and eyewitnesses accounts. He scrolled through New York newspapers of 1886 and all the blaring headlines of the calamity. He stopped at the fourth paragraph of a cover story.

_"Yadda, yadda…_death, destruction…and a giant airship seen flying overhead just minutes before the Statue got zapped! A blimp! A Zeppelin! That's it!…_wait…_a sharp blue light unlike any they had ever seen emitted from it…a laser! That's the only thing that could have done such damage! _Yes! Yes! _Okay! Okay! _Bobby! Phineas! Sarah!… uh…Voyagers! _I found it! I found the answer!"

Sarah and Phineas entered the computer sector just as Chuck called them. They raced to the Omnibus and Chuck jumped around excited.

"What is it, Chuck? What's going on?" Sarah asked.

"I know where Casey and Jeffrey are. They gotta be trapped in a Zeppelin airship…the same airship that destroyed the Statue of Liberty with laser technology…read the fourth paragraph! That's the only possible answer. I bet I know who's on it, too!"

"That Julian guy! Great job, Chuck! This has to be it!" Phineas patted his back heartily and Chuck stumbled.

Sarah pulled Chuck close for a hug and gave him an unexpected kiss on the lips. Chuck staggered back dumbfounded and Phineas covered his mouth to suppress his laughter. Someone needed to teach Chuck how to react in those situations. You milk it for all it's worth and kiss right back.

"I knew you'd pull through for us, Chuck. You always do." Sarah said.

Bobby and Tina hurried over. "I just heard all that. Do you want a job, Chuck? I can use a great man like you!"

_"Really!_ I…_umm_…No thanks, Bobby…I mean it's an honor, but I just want to save our friends and go home. I'm ready to jump right back behind the Nerd Herd and fix cell phones and faulty computers for the rest of my life!"

"That's what I thought." Bobby sniggered. He handed Phineas a gleaming brass omni.

"Top of the line, mate. Take care of it, and I want that other scrap metal omni as soon as you come back, it'll make a great paperweight!"

"Sure, I can mount it in a crystal box with a picture of me and Jeff." Phineas clutched the omni tight. He would have to go over the manual of its new-fangled features later. His face glowed with hope. Bobby took him aside in private.

"Phineas, I want you to know we're taking a big risk here…you know as well as I do what's really going on."

Phineas stared at the others. "We're breaking major counts of protocol…taking civilians on missions…and saving Jeffrey's life."

"That's right. Jeffrey's officially a Voyager, and if a Voyager dies on a mission, there's no going back, you know that."

Phineas was about to cut him off, but Bobby silenced him. "But…this is _Jeffrey_ we're talking about, he's still a child. I don't care what the Tribunal says, Jeffrey never went to the Academy and wasn't even granted a Guidebook. He's still a Voyager apprentice in my book. I couldn't live with myself if I let that boy die. This is one of those situations where I chose to make a judgment call. I want you to know I'll stand by your side at the Tribunal if there's any problems over this…all of us in the OCC will."

Phineas let out a sob and hugged him. "Bobby, I can't tell you what this means to me. And as much as Casey is a pain to Chuck and Sarah…it means a lot to them too. Besides, he's a big part of the red light."

"That's right, keep thinking of good defenses, and so will Tina and I. I'll get Susan on this, she's still a hotshot lawyer, never lost a case yet since Drake vanished. Now get outta here and save our Jeffy!"

Phineas rushed to the others and flipped the omni open. "We're back in business. This baby won't give us a hard landing. Everybody latch on."

Chuck gripped Sarah's hand and she linked Phineas' arm. Phineas looked at the dials in shock before setting them.

"Bobby, his thing has a clock?"

"That's right! It's super specific!"

"How do I know when to set it?"

Chuck looked at the Omnibus for the last time. "Fifteen minutes to seven. That's all we need to grab Casey and Jeffrey."

"That's cutting it very close, but okay…_done."_

"Hold on, we're forgetting that Wilhelm Julian destroyed the Statue of Liberty. He seems pretty powerful, we're going to need time to stop him." Sarah disputed. "He may have weapons, bodyguards…who knows?"

Chuck snorted laughter. "Sarah, Please. You're insulting us men over here. Have you taken a good look at that guy? I swear if Gumby had a brother…what could possibly happen?"

Sarah didn't want to waste time arguing the point. Sometimes men had to live and learn from their prideful mistakes more than women.

"Never mind. We're ready. Hit it, Phineas."

Phineas smiled at his new friends and the trio dematerialized within the blink of an eye.


	13. Rescues and Reunions

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 13: Rescues and Reunions**

"_Wonderful! In fifteen minutes, I will conquer this City…and no one will stop me!"_

Casey never dreamed he would go down like this. He gazed at Jeffrey. The boy stared a grisly death in the face, and his look of pure terror stung Casey's heart. It was his dark eyes – for a brief instant they connected with his as if to say, "_Thank you, Casey. You did what you could."_

Casey's fury mounted. The child didn't deserve to die. He needed to thrive to manhood, and become the greatest Voyager of his ranks. Casey already saw that fire in him. Bogg must have seen it too, which is why the young man never dropped the kid off at the first available orphanage in history. The driven, but sympathetic personality coupled with high intelligence would get Jeffrey Jones far in whatever cosmic ventures he pursued.

And there was the plain fact that saving him was just the damn, right thing to do.

"Just like Bartowski. This is not gonna happen on my watch!" Casey rumbled. He staggered up, and without a sound ran toward Captain Goodbody the robot. The robot never had a chance to counter attack. Casey shouted and grabbed his globe-shaped head. With a hard tug, he tore it right off its neck.

"Alert! Alert! _Alert…t.t…"_ The mustachioed mouth repeated. The melting blue eyes locked half-way and his body fizzled with smoking wires.

Drake didn't particularly care about a robot. Julian fell into hysterics upon seeing his creation spark until it dropped in a mass of burned out circuitry and bolts.

"No! My friend! You _murderer!_ You destroyed Captain Goodbody! _Augh!"_

"Yet, you have the audacity to destroy countless human lives!"

Julian tore at his hair. "They don't rebel! Robots don't mock and tease and call you a lunatic fool and stomp on your dreams! _WHY?"_

It was hard not to pity the crazed man as he crawled to the robot. Julian cradled the metallic body with a vile hatred.

"I hate you, Casey! I hate _all _Caseys! They never give me a chance!"

Casey heard Drake laugh snidely.

"This is so pathetic! I will finish this once and for all!"

Drake ran for the wheel. Casey flung the head at Drake's mid section like a basketball pass. Drake doubled over and the electric shocks passed through him. He tripped on the Oriental rug.

"Alright! No more playing nice!" Drake gasped. He clutched his stomach and reached into his waistcoat jacket for a handgun.

Casey jumped back. "I thought Voyagers didn't use guns!"

"Says _who?_ That's only Phineas Bogg's dumb rule! I am not above any weapons that get the job done. Now step away! This blimp is going to strike Liberty with or without Julian!"

"I don't think so!"

Disregarding the weapon, Casey rammed himself against Drake and forced him against the controls. His muscles weakened and Drake got the upper hand. Casey yanked on Drake's arm and kept him from firing the gun, but Drake pushed him to the floor.

"Enough of you!" Drake cocked the hammer and pointed the gun at Casey's head. "You interfered far too long!"

Three figures appeared and Drake drew back his weapon in shock. Phineas rushed to him. He kicked Drake down and pinned his arm behind his back. He tossed the gun far from his reach. He caught Sarah's eye and she smiled.

"Not bad, Phineas! I'll handle the next part." She grabbed for the gun and kept it steadily on Julian. The inventor was still a blubbering mess, but he rose up with his hands in the air.

"My Captain, my pilot, my friend! Mr. Goodbody, wake up and fly! We have to go!"

Chuck helped Casey off the floor. "Are you alright, Casey?"

"Where the hell did you all come from? And what took ya so long?" Casey sputtered grateful.

"It's nice to see you too, Casey. Where's Jeffrey Jones?" Chuck asked.

Phineas dropped his hold on Drake. "That's right! Where is my kid? This loser won't tell me!"

"You're too late, Bogg! Jeffrey is about to put on a wonderful light show! _Julian!_ Forget that bucket of bolts! Grab the controls! Hit the laser now!"

They were only a few yards from the Statue of Liberty and about to crash into the torch. Sarah gaped out the window, but she blocked Julian before he could make a move.

"Oh my God! Phineas! There he is!"

Phineas slammed the window panicked. "No! How do we get him off there!"

"That's the _laser!"_ Chuck shouted. "We gotta stop it!"

"Everybody clear the hell out of my way!" Casey blurted out and rushed toward the deck. "This is my bird now."

Casey grasped the lever the robot used and pushed it up slowly. He swung the wheel starboard left and veered the entire airship away from the statue. He smiled. This was the age just before airplanes and brutal sky warfare in World War II. No helicopters or fighter jets would swarm to shoot him down as a threat. He ruled the skies and the terrified people below had little idea how to use their resources to stop him. It was no wonder Julian felt like a Master of the universe.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Phineas demanded. "Don't hurt Jeffrey!"

"It may not be a stealth fighter, but this is Casey's thing…air force training." Chuck explained. Casey was too enthralled to speak.

"Whatever he's doing, it's working! The laser is going back into the hold!" Phineas exclaimed.

Phineas shoved Julian onto the pool table. He ripped his collar.

"Where is he! Where do I find him?"

"He…he…go out that exit across the room…there's a door to your right…the laser is situated in there!"

**~Oo~**

Jeffrey's whole body lurched and he cried out. This was the end. They would fire the laser and slice him in half like Lady Liberty. He refused to open his eyes to see the destruction and hoped it was painless. His last thoughts centered on Bogg and how much he missed him. The laser reared up moved back into place. He no longer felt the biting winds and heard a large clang. Jeffrey trembled as the laser finally came to rest. Someone grabbed his wrists and the loosened his binds.

"Jeffrey, it's me. It's Bogg! I'm here, kid! I would never leave you! I got you!"

Jeffrey's eyes flew open to see his beloved partner. He let out a wail of happiness and jumped in his arms. They held each other and Phineas' fatherly instincts came to the fore. He never wanted to be parted from Jeffrey like this again.

"I thought I was gonna die! How did you get here? Where's Casey? What's going on?" Jeffrey babbled.

Phineas couldn't fight back his tears of joy. "Casey's at the helm, he got control of the ship. Chuck and Sarah are with me. We were at VHQ and located the two of you. I'm sorry it took so long."

Jeffrey pulled away with a huge smile. "No, as long as you're here now, everything is great!"

Jeffrey's knees knocked and he shivered from experience. Phineas carried him back to the Captain's Quarters. Casey flew the airship under full control and Sarah tied Drake and Julian back to back with the curtain sash. Drake, however, had other plans. He maneuvered his hands into his pocket and pulled out his omni. It was time to take the inventor elsewhere and start anew. Jeffrey caught him and shook Phineas' sleeve.

"Bogg Look! He's gonna escape again!"

Chuck bravely tried to stop him, but Phineas yanked him away. Drake laughed and disappeared with Julian.

"Why did you that? We had them, Phineas!"

"No, Chuck. It has to be this way. This was how it all began. Drake took Julian to the 21st Century and he re-started his career. That's how we all met, at his auction, remember? Now we gotta go back to the exact moment we left your castle base and we stop him in the future."

Chuck nodded slowly. _"I get it!_ We better hurry, he's about to cause a massive 10.0 in California!"

The airship dipped lower and everyone tripped up. Sarah went to Casey's side.

"What are you doing? Where are you going to land this? We can't just leave it to crash. There's plenty of open territory now."

Sarah kept her emotions in check as she stared across the bare, but beautiful skyline of old New York City. Although physically in the past, her time was short and she wouldn't be able to share in a unique Voyagers experience like Bogg and Jeffrey, and even Casey had. It was probably for the best. Phineas explained that it's better they don't linger and make unnecessary changes to the time-continuum. But most often, you couldn't help it.

"I know that, Walker. We're gonna land this blimp in Central Park. That's where Julian kept it in the other history. There's a reason it has to be there." He responded, keeping his focus ahead.

"The _other _history? What do you mean?"

Jeffrey crawled out of Phineas' arms and went to the helm. Casey refused to meet his gaze.

"We landed in New York, 1887, a few months _after_ Liberty was destroyed. It was a total red light. Julian controlled the entire city with robots and everything! We even had to rescue Casey's great-great-grandmother, Colleen. We saved Casey's entire family line by coming back here."

"Great job, kid!" Phineas smiled. "How did you like working with another partner?"

Jeffrey looked up at Casey. The Agent ignored him and adjusted the controls. Jeffrey noticed a deep sadness in his eyes. He shrugged with a small smile.

"It was awesome! Casey saved my life a few times…boy, you don't wanna mess with him! But he's a really cool guy. I can see why you need him on _your_ team." Jeffrey glanced at Chuck.

Chuck couldn't hide his surprise. Either the kid lied, or Casey behaved differently around children. He never actually saw the Major deal with them before.

"If you say so…" Chuck responded, then caught himself. "I mean…_yeah!_ Sure! Casey's a peach."

"I do say so. I think Casey would make a great Voyager if he wanted."

Relief flooded over Phineas. He was afraid that Jeffrey wouldn't be in one piece after the stories he heard about the Major.

Casey turned quietly. "Or if they wanted me. I think I got this voyaging thing down pat. Everybody prepare for a landing. It could get bumpy."

Jeffrey hurried to Phineas' side and they sat on Julian's long couch. Phineas leaned over with hushed tones.

"Was that true, Jeff? Was it really so…_awesome?"_

Jeffrey glanced at his sneakers and then looked Phineas in the eye. "I'm alive, aren't I? I couldn't have made it without him…well, until Drake and those stupid robots got us. But Casey didn't let me down the whole time. I know he tried. Let's leave it like that, please, Bogg."

Phineas patted his shoulder and sat back. Jeffrey wanted him to drop the subject. Whatever went on was between him and Casey alone. All Phineas really cared about was his safety. He hugged Jeffrey again.

"Alright, kid. That was _your_ adventure. No more questions. So, aren't you the least bit interested in _my_ day?" He joked.

Jeffrey let out a yawn. "You went to VHQ and did some research. I can't imagine it was heart-stopping excitement."

Phineas playfully swiped his head. _"Thanks!_ It was…" Phineas' expression clouded over and he decided not to tell Jeffrey that they read the reports on the destruction of Liberty. It was too painful for him to even think about. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"It was boring as heck! I couldn't wait to get here and kick some tuba!"

Jeffrey laughed and they grabbed the couch arm and felt the airship come to a forceful halt. Phineas jumped up.

"Perfect landing! We can't hang out here! Chuck's right, we have to get back to 2008 as soon as possible. We're on the clock now."

Phineas adjusted the dials for five minutes past the exact date and time of their last departure. Jeffrey looked at the new omni in shock.

_"Woah!_ Where did you get that? It's so cool!"

"On my _boring_ trip to VHQ. Bobby said it was about time. This baby is all ours! Where's my other one?"

Casey finally released the wheel. He unfastened the old omni from his belt and tossed it to Phineas.

"I think you need to have that melted down or something, Long John Silver. It's pretty useless now."

"That's true, but I'm sure gonna miss it. All right, you all know the drill by now. Everyone grab on, I'm taking you home."

Casey stood close to Jeffrey and discreetly held his hand out. He gave Jeffrey's palm a firm and reassuring squeeze. Casey didn't need any words. In that action, Jeffrey knew Casey was thankful for what he said to the others. Jeffrey looked up. Casey winked and his mouth curled in a small grin. Their adventure was rough, and so was Casey, but they made it out and formed an auspicious bond of friendship. Jeffrey wouldn't ask for anything more.

**~Oo~**

A large group of uniformed policemen ran toward the giant blimp. A tall and rugged young man pushed through the crowds and tossed his derby on the grass in shock.

"That's Julian's work alright! He's crazier than a fox, but inventive. _Quickly!_ He must be inside!"

Matthew Casey felt a strong hand pull him away from the entrance. "No, Casey. That's a job for my officers. You've done your part and led us to him. It was hard to believe, but here's the proof! Not to mention all the eyewitnesses at the torch ceremony. We'll handle it."

Matthew looked disappointed at the stout, mustached man. "But Teddy, I have to be there to make the capture! This is my collar since Chicago."

Young Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt patted his back. A wide, toothy grin spread across his face. "_Bully!_ You have, Matt! You'll get Wilhelm Julian yet. The bounty is still all yours. Now, you have a beautiful wife waiting for you at the hotel. Go to her and get some rest, you look very worn out."

Matthew stared at the dried orange leaves and sighed. "Yes, I am. And she's worried sick."

One of the officers came running up breathless and wild eyed with fear. "Commissioner! There's no one inside…no one _human_… you won't _believe_ what we found, it's stupendous!"

**~Oo~**

Matthew leaped from the hansom cab and generously tipped the driver. He raced to his hotel room and burst in with a flourish. Colleen combed out her hair and prepared for bed. She jumped up thoroughly startled.

"Colleen! Darling, we did it!"

"Oh my goodness! _Matthew!_ What is it? Did what?"

Matthew swooped her into his arms. "We are very close to finding Julian, love! I feel it! You'll never guess what we found in Central park tonight!"

_"Umm…_besides the zoo, horse rides and tennis? No, I won't!"

"His airship! A huge monster blimp, and do you know what was inside?"

Colleen gazed at her frantic husband and sat upon the bed. She was almost afraid to know. "I don't. What?"

Matthew waggled his arms. _"_Giant mechanical men made of steel, brass and copper! Something terrible must have happened on that airship. There were signs of intense struggle, but thankfully not much blood…and one of the mechanical men was beheaded…_heheh_...it kind of looked like Teddy." Matthew laughed. "Whoever did it used his bare hands, I saw the fingerprint smudges. He must have been quite a brute."

"You've been known to have the strength of ten men when your temper is up, Matthew. I'm not surprised." The shock caught up to her. "I really don't believe this! Julian has truly gone mad! I told you he's just like Dr. Frankenstein. Oh Matthew, I'm getting frightened. He's still out there, suppose he finds…"

Matthew loosened his tie and opened his collar. He pounced beside her on the bed and pulled her against him, silencing her fears with a long kiss.

"Don't worry yourself, Colleen. I would do anything in my power to protect you, even if it meant my life. That man eluded me for too long. He'll get what's coming to him. Right now, the NYPD and City officials are going crazy, but Teddy is doing everything he can to keep it out of the papers. Besides, the torch lighting ceremony should keep all those nosy press reporters busy. I hear it was glorious."

Colleen gazed at his handsome face with a deep smile. "It was a shame to miss it. I know you have everything under control. The Casey clan are famous for that…I just get so scared for you sometimes. You're not going back out there, are you? Please don't leave me alone tonight." She caressed his knee.

Her body shivered under her nightdress and Matthew lovingly stroked her back and kissed her forehead.

"No, my love. I have strict orders from Roosevelt to stay here. I always obey orders, don't I?"

Colleen teased him with a smile and pulled him in a passionate embrace. "Yes you do, Mr. Casey…and right now _I _have a few orders for you…"

As their lamplight extinguished, another light blazed. It shined as an optimistic beacon for all, and a welcoming hearth to the tired, poor, and huddled masses across the earth.


	14. Good Vibrations

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 14: Good Vibrations**

The crazed inventor would not be foiled again. Drake promised him success with this latest attempt to bring humanity to its knees. The days of flying airships and copper coiled robots were long over. The world thrived on electronic devices and giant steel airplanes and automobiles. With all that he had nothing to do. Wilhelm Julian devised a new plan to recreate a major event from the past. He was not without help, even after Voyager Drake disappeared to 1906 and never returned. It's hard to teach old dogs new tricks, so Julian employed a new, advanced version of his beloved Captain Goodbody – a near replica of the one Casey destroyed.

Voyager Drake explained the concept of time-travel and how it was possible that Matthew Casey's great-great-grandson existed in his time period. Julian wanted an omni, but the version in his possession died until the auction when the crazy young man stole it and his boy disappeared with the phony auctioneer. Drake filled in the missing pieces and helped him understand why those very same people apprehended them on his airship in 1886. Julian was sorely disappointed that Lady Liberty's destruction never took place after Casey commandeered the helm. It still overlooked the City and turned sickly green. No doubt from all the horrible immigrants that overran Manhattan in the ensuing years.

Captain Goodbody wheeled over carrying a small super powered cylindrical vibrator. It was made of the strongest alloy called _Inconel 625_. Julian always assumed titanium was the strongest, but Drake told him to do his homework. There was much to catch up on in over a hundred years.

Julian took his advice diligently, and almost succeeded in manipulating weather patterns, however he underestimated the power of the modern United States Government and its law officials. They forced him into hiding, but he was ready to try again with the earthquakes and currently set the plan in motion on the foggy shoreline of Mussel Rock.

The robot's spindly arms carefully held the vibrator and waited for the next command. Julian discreetly embedded a steel pillar right over the epicenter and deep enough to cause a reaction to the San Andreas fault. Captain Goodbody attached the vibrator to the pillar and held it steady. The robot would supplement the force of the quake and sacrifice himself.

Julian worked fast as the tide rapidly flowed in. Very shortly, the cave would be underwater.

"Captain Goodbody, start the vibrator now!"

**~Oo~**

Team Bartowski and the Voyagers appeared instantly on the surf. Phineas looked confused at the night fog.

"Hey, I thought I set it for morning."

"I don't know how you can see those dials without a microscope." Casey muttered. "You must have set it for the PM."

"It makes sense if Julian's here now, he doesn't need beachcombers gawking at him while he tries manipulate the fault line." Chuck explained. "This is Mussel Rock. It's…"

"This is the epicenter where the 1906 earthquake originally hit!" Jeffrey called out. "I think I see some light by those rocks, maybe he's in a cave."

"He's right you guys. Come on!" Sarah rushed ahead.

"It makes me wonder what you'd do without that kid?" Casey huffed to Phineas as they ran up the shore.

It was meant to be an insult, but Phineas took it in stride. "I don't really know anymore. Take it from me; Jeffrey has a way of growing on you _fast._ Then…you're trapped, you can't help but love him. Looks like he already did his job voyaging with you."

Phineas smirked and ran faster while Casey stewed. As much as he hated to admit it, the Voyager was right.

Chuck made it near the entrance first and slid against the rocky wall. The tide rose higher and the water lapped close to his thighs. The crashing waves drowned out their voices as they huddled to come up with a plan of action. Casey took the lead.

"Okay. Sarah, you stay out front and guard Chuck and Jeffrey. Bogg, you're the only brawn we have so you're coming inside with me."

Chuck winced at that comment, but kept quiet. Casey took the gun from Sarah and for a split moment felt odd holding it. He grunted and checked the chamber. "This is for…"

"_Extreme _measures. We're not here to kill, just to stop Julian from making the earthquake." Phineas warned.

Casey rolled his eyes and shoved the gun in his pants waist. "Yeah, _yeah,_ whatever you say, Errol Flynn. Are we all clear with this?"

"Clear as a bell, Casey. You have to hurry. The water's getting higher." Chuck urged.

Sarah pushed Chuck to the shore. Jeffrey didn't like the idea of Phineas going in without him, but it wasn't like they never parted before. He mustered up confidence. He hoped between Phineas and Casey, the plan wouldn't fail.

**~Oo~**

As they crept inside, Casey stiffened at the familiar mechanical noises. He blocked Phineas from going further.

"I know that sound…it's one of Julian's toys, his robot, gotta be."

"Okay…we can take it, it doesn't sound that big."

"It's not the size we have to worry about, hotshot. He builds those things to kill with lasers in the eyes and fingers. Be on your guard."

As they came closer, Casey's flesh tingled from the discordant hum of grinding steel and Phineas grabbed his ears.

"_Aughh!_ What is that?"

"This isn't good, Bogg. There's only way one he could make this earthquake and that's with a powerful vibration! We have to move faster!"

Phineas observed Julian's form in the diffused lighting from the robot's eyes. "There he is! I'll grab Julian and you try and stop this thing!"

Julian prepared for his uninvited guests. "Captain Goodbody! We have visitors!"

The robot turned its head and its eyes lit up like beacons and

momentarily blinded them. He raised his hands.

"Jump away, Bogg! _Now!"_ Casey commanded.

The lasers burst forth and Phineas and Casey staggered to opposite sides of the cave. The steel pillar trembled and water poured in. A game of cat and mouse ensued as they ran and ducked from each laser blast. While they were distracted, Julian made a hasty escape. Casey fired a shot between the robot's eyes and it convulsed and died once again at his hand. The walls crumbled under the tremblers.

Sarah, Chuck, and Jeffrey grew antsy as a laser light show erupted from inside the cave. The waves churned higher and they felt small shaking underfoot.

"They're not gonna make it!" Jeffrey cried out. "How are they gonna stop it?"

Chuck wracked his brains and snapped his fingers. "_Tesla!_ He created a man made earthquake by accident! He left a vibrator on the steel pillar and when he came back the entire city block shook! The only way he stopped it was by smashing the machinery! Julian's so old school, he'd do it that way!"

Sarah looked at the entrance. _"Wait!_ There's Julian! He's getting away!"

"Oh no, he won't!" Jeffrey took off after the inventor with Sarah at his heels.

"Jeffrey! Come back! I'll get him!"

Using a Bogg-like maneuver, Jeffrey took a dive at Julian's legs and managed to knock him face down in the sand. Julian struggled tearfully, but then laughed like a mad-scientist.

"It's too late! The vibrations have already begun! You can't stop the earthquake! I win! I win!"

Chuck glared at the cave. The outer structure quaked. They needed his help. He sprinted inside.

"_Chuck!_ Don't go in there! Stop!" Sarah called.

Chuck ignored her warnings and sloshed through the darkness. The rushing water pressed against his lower back. "Casey! Phineas! Where are you! I know how to stop this thing!"

Casey shouted from the rear the cave. "Chuck get the heck out of here! I told you to stay out!"

"Nobody told _me_ anything! _Oww!"_ Chuck's foot slammed into metal and he saw a robot's arm sticking out from beside the pillar. He raised his leg and stumbled back to rub his foot. Phineas swam up and caught him before he sank.

"Are you alright, Chuck?"

"Yeah, forget about my big toe, we gotta find some way to smash this pillar. That's the only way to stop it. If we all pick up this robot we can do it."

"Casey, he's right! Come on!"

Casey swam over exhaustion settled in him and he clutched a small shoulder wound where one of the laser beams sliced him. Cave dust little rocks and pebbles fell upon them. Casey lifted the front of Captain Goodbody, Phineas the middle, and Chuck the base. They rammed its body into the pillar a few times.

"It's the vibrator! We have to destroy the vibrator!" Chuck shouted over the roar of water and clanging metal.

They banged against the miniature device. Casey's arms gave up and he dropped the head. He doubled up with pain.

"What's the matter, why did you stop?"

"Chuck, he's injured. We can do this together!" Phineas gritted his teeth from the extra weight suddenly upon him.

"No, wait! I'll finish it! Stand back, they might deflect." Casey ordered.

He raised his gun and blasted the vibrator. Chuck and Phineas dunked themselves as the bullets whizzed off the metal. The vibrator fizzled and popped open. Chuck and Phineas surfaced.

"We did it!" Chuck laughed nervously. "Casey, you did it!"

"Yeah, but did we stop the earthquake?" Casey pointed up alarmed.

A long crack made its way across the ceiling.

**~Oo~**

Wilhelm could not let his experiment fail again. He elbowed Sarah bit her arm. She leaped back from the sharp pain.

"Hey! You jerk! That hurt!"

Julian ran fast into the cave and sputtered as the water toppled him over. His vibrator and pillar were destroyed.

"No! You _imbeciles!_ It wasn't supposed to be this way!"

"Yes it was!" Casey snarled and dove for him. He thrust Julian against the wall and put the gun to his face.

"You are _intruding_ in my time, now, nutcase! Grandpa couldn't do it, so I'm taking you out once and for all!"

Chuck splashed over and pulled his arm back. "No, Casey! You can't kill him!"

Phineas fumbled with his omni dials and followed after Chuck. The water frothed around their necks it was hard to keep steady. The cave shook to its foundations and larger rocks dropped.

"Chuck, look out!" Phineas shoved Chuck against the wall just as a jagged piece crashed where he stood. "We won't make it! Come on! I know what to do!"

**~Oo~**

Jeffrey and Sarah stared horrified as the cliffs around Mussel Rock collapsed. Huge stones slammed into the ocean and obscured the mouth of the cave.

"No! Bogg! _NO!_" Jeffrey attempted to run to the cave and Sarah pulled him back. They fell on the sand and she put her arms over his chest.

"Jeffrey you can't go in there!"

"_No! No!_ Where are they? What happened! _Bogg!_"

Sarah's eyes were blinded with tears, and she kept hold of Jeffrey to prevent herself from running into the ocean after them.

"I'm so sorry, Jeffrey! Wait…maybe…maybe there was another way out!"

"Where, Sarah? It's destroyed! The earthquake stopped, but the cave…the rocks! They didn't make it!" He sobbed.

The last of the giant stones sank into the ocean, and the waters calmed as the waves receded. Sarah's heart knotted in her chest. She rested her chin in Jeffrey's hair and he cried on her shoulder.

"I should have been with him. He needed me."

"No, Jeffrey. That's not what Phineas wanted. He wanted you safe out here." She gulped. In all respects, she felt exactly the same. She should have been with Chuck…and even her partner.

A piercing whistle broke the air.

Sarah couldn't believe it. "Jeffrey, look."

Three tall figures marched up the shoreline, and they all smiled. She couldn't help thinking they looked like wet hunks in soaked and grungy clothes from various time periods.

"Bogg! You made it!" Jeffrey shouted.

Phineas held his arms wide open and Jeffrey sprinted to him. Sarah dusted her pants and forgot her cover. She rushed over and Chuck laughed and lifted her in a spin. He took a chance and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Sarah gaped at him, but then returned it. For Chuck, it was just as sweet as the first time they kissed. Sarah reluctantly pulled apart and bit her lip. She would have to explain this one at some point. She gazed into Chuck's eyes, and grinned. He understood. He put his arm over her shoulder.

"You know how it is in baseball…three strikes, you're out. That was our second. If we kiss like that one more time…"

Sarah ribbed him. "I don't think being out in _this _game would be such a bad thing." She patted Chuck's cheek and joined Phineas and Jeffrey. She gave the handsome Voyager a hug for his return.

Casey hung back and swallowed the lump in his throat. He forced his gaze elsewhere and observed the ruined landscape of Mussel Rock. The damage wasn't too extensive and they prevented an earth-shattering calamity. He kicked the sand and walked glumly up away from the cheerful scene. He wanted to get home and end this whole adventure. Someone grabbed his arm and he turned quickly. Jeffrey smiled and hugged him.

"I knew you guys could do it…but I really thought you were all trapped. Sometimes I forget Bogg has the omni. I'm so glad you made it out too, Casey."

His sincere concern touched Casey's heart. He patted Jeffrey's back.

"Thanks to Chuck's brains, my trigger finger, and Bogg's quick reflexes, we did just fine. See, sometimes a gun can be useful…but don't tell your partner I said that."

Jeffrey shook his head and laughed. He glanced around the beach.

"What happened to Julian?"

Phineas and the others caught up to them. "We finally got Wilhelm Julian in his own time-line. We put him right back on the air-ship just before Matthew Casey showed up with the cavalry."

Chuck laughed. "Yep! I can't wait to check out the old newspaper archives for that one. Who knew Casey's ancestors were so prominent? We only did that _after_ we were nearly run over by an elephant stampede in India. Phineas accidentally set his omni for Mangalore, India not Manhattan!"

Phineas grinned sheepishly. "Hey, can you blame me? We were about to be drowned and crushed. I couldn't see too good in there."

Chuck patted his back. "Well that was horrific, I stopped Casey before he could shoot one down in the leg. He would have totally made a red light…it would have been a King Kong moment, that's for sure."

Jeffrey stared at him blankly and Chuck laughed. "Oh right, _1982_…I meant the new version with the stampeding dinosaurs...not the original...or even the lame seventies one with Jeff Bridges, okay.._.anyway! _Thanks for the save in the cave, Phineas."

"Anytime, Chuck."

"There's a new version of King Kong with dinosaurs?" Jeffrey asked incredulous. "That sounds cool!"

"Sure! And giant man-eating insects! It was gross! Oh man, we gotta see that one day. You and me, movie night!" Chuck slapped Jeffrey five.

"You're on! I bet I missed a lot of awesome stuff in twenty-six years!"

Casey walked further ahead and bellowed. "Alright, stooges! It's time to go! This mission is finally _over."_


	15. Mission Accomplished

**Chuck Vs. The Omni**

**Chapter 15: Mission Accomplished**

The Voyagers and team Bartowski all piled into Casey's apartment battered, weary, but ultimately proud of stopping Wilhelm Julian's trail of destruction. Sarah ran to the bathroom to retrieve bandages and peroxide to dress Casey's shoulder wound.

Chuck plopped on the couch and Casey grimaced. "Hey, Bartowski, watch the leather, you're saturated in seawater and sand."

"We _all _are. I'm just worn out, and totally glad this is over."

Phineas unfastened his omni. "So are me and Jeff. It's been quite an adventure, hasn't it? I'll never forget it."

Everyone nodded and Jeffrey caught Casey's eye. They shared a quick, knowing smile.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you all…perhaps one day we'll meet again. I got a fifty year upgrade on this new omni. Maybe Jeff and me will stop by the Orange Orange for smoothies. I never got to try the strawberry." Phineas winked playfully at Sarah and she laughed.

"Oh, I think you'll love it, you're welcome anytime." She stood over Chuck and gave his shoulders an assured squeeze. Chuck glanced up and sighed. The intrepid and dashing Voyager Bogg had not won his way into Sarah's heart as he feared.

"I don't think that's gonna happen soon, mates." An Australian voice called out from the next room.

Casey immediately drew his gun and Sarah held his arm. "It's okay, Casey. He's a friend. That's Bobby Peters from the Voyager Headquarters. He's responsible for Omni control."

Casey slowly inched his hand away from the gun and observed the tall, brunette man. There was nothing disarming about him, save his imposing height, but he seemed to be friendly and his large smile helped ease his suspicions. Casey's mouth twitched, he was told over and over that his own smile was charming and he should use it more.

Chuck stood at attention and the damp filth from his jeans drifted onto Casey's floor. He ignored the Major's low growl of discontent.

"What are you talking about, Bobby? Tell me this isn't the part where you come to kill us because we know your Voyager secrets!"

Casey's fingers curled over the gun handle again. Sarah tensed up and she gazed at Phineas. Phineas shook his head as if to say, 'don't worry.' He felt bad for this group of spies, they were constantly on edge against threats of murder and mayhem.

Bobby rolled his eyes and waved his hands. "Chuck, please, we're _not_ the N…" He caught Casey's widened stare and backtracked. "_Err…_we're not killers in the slightest, even if we have a few…_rogues _among us." He referred to Voyager Drake, but his narrowed stare burned into Casey's conscience.

"As you might have guessed and hopefully understand, our work at VHQ is absolutely top Secret and must remain that way. This goes beyond _National_ security, call it…cosmic…global…_universal_ is more like it."

"Okay, I get it, can we cut to the chase?" Casey said.

"You're very impatient, Major. That's a flaw to work on with your current job and in the future one…_perhaps_." Bobby told him cryptically.

Casey held back a snarl. "Alright Dundee, what brain altering device are you gonna use on us? I get it, we'll wake up tomorrow morning with massive migraines and talk about how we all had the same weird dream."

Bobby laughed. "Well, we've managed to reduce the level of migraines. No dreams…not anymore. In fact, you'll all be standing right here in the comfort of this fine apartment."

Chuck fretted around anxious. "Wait, wait…you mean to tell us we won't even remember stopping the Earthquake?"

"Yep. It's for your own good, Chuck. No one else knows about it anyway. Maybe they felt a slight tremor, but that's not unusual for this neck of the world."

Chuck couldn't hide his disappointment. "That's really not cool. This I _want_ to remember!"

"Great, now I'll never get to see the new King Kong and watch the History Channel." Jeffrey grumbled.

"Jeff, at VHQ we have access to anything. Sure you can." Bobby smiled.

"But not with each other, we're all friends now. It would have been cool to swap stories over sizzling shrimp." Chuck sighed.

Phineas patted his shoulder. "Hey, don't you think you have enough secrets stored up in that head, Chuck? Why keep anymore? Then you'll always be worrying and wondering what the future holds. That's no way to live. Just carry on with your life and make the best of it. I don't know your future, but I'm sure it involves some good things."

Phineas cast a gentle glance at Sarah. No matter what else happened, she would never stray far from Chuck Bartowski.

Casey stroked his chin. "Wait a minute…what about Wilhelm Julian being on the NSA's radar?"

Bobby smirked and folded his arms. "Wiped out. There will be no memory of Julian coming to this time zone by anyone and his files will be stricken from all Governmental records in this century."

Casey nodded impressed. "Nice, total mind control. I like how you people work! Maybe you can knock out some of my very _minor_ infractions."

"Sorry, Major. We don't fool around with our technology. That aspect of it is only used in very specific cases and events, and _only_ on what's really important…like keeping our identities a secret and protecting your _very_ important asset."

Chuck slumped on the couch in another cloud of dust and Casey knocked his shin.

_"Oww!_ What's wrong _now?"_

"Listen, Pigpen, I gave you two warning grunts. Don't make me take real action…_off _the furniture!"

Chuck staggered to his feet and Jeffrey chuckled at the antics. He couldn't help thinking that the adventures with 'Team Chuck' would make for great entertainment.

"Well then…_c'mon!_ You guys are like the _Men in Black_. Put on the shades and lets get this over with." Chuck said. He stared at Jeffrey. "That's another movie we won't get to see. But only watch the first one, the sequel was the pits."

"Gotchya, Chuck." Jeffrey nodded.

"There's no need for shades, the brass up at VHQ will handle things the moment we leave…which should be right now." Bobby turned to Phineas and Jeffrey. "Why don't you two come back with me to Headquarters and get rested? I don't want you to be worn out in the field. And I will be out of a job if you two leave one more time without your new Guidebook!"

"That sounds like a great idea, don't worry, don't worry, I'll get it." Phineas laughed grateful. He held out his hand to Chuck.

"You're a good man, Chuck. Please say goodbye to Ellie for me."

Chuck laughed. "Alright, I could do that. You impressed her. You would have loved her cooking."

"I'm sure of it. And Chuck, take good care of Sarah." Phineas demanded. He stared at her and she blushed. "She's very delicate."

"I'll say…" Casey muttered and Sarah glared at him.

"Will do, Phineas. I like to think we all take good care of each other."

"I know you do…and Major Casey…" Phineas stood erect, resisting the urge to salute. "Thank you for protecting Jeffrey. He still won't tell me about your voyage, but I can already see a difference in him…it's like he grew up overnight."

Casey shook Phineas' hand briskly. "Sometimes a little discipline can go a long way, Bogg. Jeffrey's a real special kid." Casey looked down at Jeffrey with a mock-serious expression. "He just needs to learn to keep that smart mouth shut!"

Phineas laughed. "I knew it wasn't just me who thought so! You hear that, Jeff?"

Jeffrey sighed. "Yeah…_I know._ I'll work on it, but only if Major Casey works on being a little…" Jeffrey caught himself from embarrassing him by saying, 'kinder.'

"By being a little…_happier._ Despite all the bad stuff, there is a lot to enjoy in life, Casey."

Only Jeffrey noticed the Major's eyes glaze over sadly. He clutched Phineas' sleeve. He would never forget this adventure and would really miss Casey the most.

Casey mussed his curls and raised his chin. "Hey kid, don't let anyone look down on you cause you're still a runt. You got a great brain up there and don't let it go to waste. Remember, you're a Voyager and it's your job to protect this world, don't screw it up."

Jeffrey nodded excited. "That's a lot of _'don'ts'_… but I won't, I promise!"

"Bogg, make sure you keep on your toes and take special care of him too. He needs a strong fatherly influence to guide him right. You've done good."

"Thanks. I sure will, and _I _won't screw up, either."

Casey stood back satisfied. It made no sense to ponder the future of those two…he wouldn't remember them anyway.

**~Oo~**

The instant the Voyagers disappeared Chuck shook off a dizzying feeling and rubbed his eyes. Bright pink and greenish-black spots danced before him. Sarah scratched her head and massaged her temples. Casey stared numbly at the floor, and his face curled in an inevitable snarl.

"Where the hell did you come from, Bartowski? The sandbox? What is this mess? I knew you were infantile, but come on!"

Chuck glanced at his dusty pants confused. "What are you talking about? I wasn't in the park…I was on the beach? Well…gee, I don't remember. Sarah…Casey, weren't we just at the Buy More? I could have sworn I flashed on someone on TV? You're just as wet and sandy as I am, Casey."

Sarah glanced at him befuddled. "I know…we had to apprehend this…that's weird, I don't even remember who or what, do you Casey?"

Casey finally looked up. He knew. He took Sarah's arm and put a hand on Chuck's back and nudged them out the front door.

"I don't recall either. I heard about an auction in San Francisco, but that was a few days ago..._uhh,_ hey, why don't you both get cleaned up. I gotta take a shower. I feel exhausted for some reason and I just want to sleep for a whole day…_uninterrupted."_

"Sure, Casey. You'll be in your bunk. We'll touch base later tonight, and maybe you can tell us where you got that wound on your shoulder and why you're dressed like the farmer in the dell?" Sarah replied concerned.

"Actually Sarah, it's more like a fish merchant from the turn of the century." Chuck corrected her and held his nose. They all carried the distinct smell of the ocean.

Casey grunted and stared at his clothes. The wound came from a laser.

"Beats me, I'm about to tear them off and stick 'em in the incinerator anyway because they're pretty ripe."

Casey watched as they ambled through the courtyard. Chuck's whiny voice echoed as he questioned his grimy clothes and their most recent whereabouts. Casey adjusted the wooden blinds shut. He pulled out a pad and pen and wrote down a few key words. The last mental picture he had faded fast.

_Caves, earthquakes…Teddy Roosevelt look-alike-robot…Ronald McDonald blimp, OMNI, Headquarters, Voyagers, Colleen Baldwin, antiques, Pirate, Time, Jeffrey._

He rushed to the bathroom to wash his face and patted his cheeks with ice-cold water. He glared at his reflection soberly. Something nagged in the back of his mind about a frustratingly lovable Italian kid and a trip through time and space.

"_Ehh,_ I must have fell asleep watching the late show or something." He mused. _"Heh,_ late show? Now that's something I haven't thought about since the eighties."

He attempted to make a large smile. He didn't know why, but he decided he would do it more often.

**~Oo~**

**Late Night at the Buy More, 2010**

The viewing room's glass window shattered over their heads and Chuck curled himself into a ball. Casey reloaded his gun.

"I'm getting too damn old for this!" He panted and locked the magazine into place. "Chuck, whatever you do, stay down! Sarah and I will handle this!"

"Casey, I got the intersect, I can get in there like Rambo!" Chuck demanded. "Give me a weapon!"

"I don't care what you got in that brain of yours, Bartowski, I'm not giving you a gun, you and guns don't mix, kid."

"Tranq darts? Anything?"

"I'm all out, they're back at the base anyway."

Bullets whizzed past their heads and smashed nto the television monitor and Chuck grabbed Casey's arm tight.

"Okay. I'll stay. Whatever _you_ do, don't let them hurt Sarah. I don't care if she can take care of herself!"

After nearly two intense years of dealing with nerds, spies, and lies, Chuck and Sarah finally admitted they loved each other. Chuck discovered major spy secrets involving the intersect and his parents. His best friend Morgan was now on their spy team and Ellie and Devon also knew the secrets of his clandestine life.

Chuck squeezed his arm again. _"Please!_ Don't let me lose her now!"

Casey glanced at Chuck with pity. "Alright, but I can't do anything if you don't let go of me, Bartowski!"

Chuck released him and kept low to avoid flying glass shards. Casey crawled his way toward the door and pushed it open. Sarah fired from behind the Nerd Herd counter and Chuck didn't see her standing. He hoped she wasn't hit. A sudden ceasefire unnerved him and guns clicked and reloaded all around the store for a final showdown.

General Beckman and the NSA finally had a state-of-the art new Intersect up and running. The clock ticked for Major John Casey to fulfill his call of duty . After two years, Casey could not believe that Chuck's kill-order was still in effect when Chuck's father Stephen Bartowski, was _Orion_, the genius inventor the Intersect. Beckman sensed his hesitation for the directive and sent in her next best assassin to do the job, the ruthless Major Robert Bradshaw.

Casey made his decision long ago. He wouldn't follow through with his orders even if it killed him… and he would allow nobody to kill Chuck on his watch. Bradshaw thought it would be easy. He underestimated John Casey, the Agent he referred to as a conceited jackass when Casey was still wet behind the ears. Casey knew of Bradshaw's double-dealing and was the biggest rogue out of any U.S. Government Security Agency.

Casey made it behind the Nerd Herd without being spotted. Sarah turned her gun on him and he raised his arms.

"It's me, Walker! Come on, we have to get Chuck out of here. He's still in the viewing room. I couldn't risk dragging him into this duck hunt." He whispered.

Sarah collapsed against the desk. "Thank you. Kung-Fu wouldn't help! And Chuck's another guy who doesn't mix with guns…but I can't think of the other one."

"Yeah, I told him that. So what's the plan?"

"Casey, we can't keep this going for much longer…we're both running out of bullets and this time, I'm in no mood to bluff." She referred to the wild shootout years earlier at Chuck's Alma Mata, Stanford University.

"Alright, we have to get Chuck into the locker room and down the passage, but if I know Bradshaw, he's got his goons at every corner. Beckman probably has Castle under lock-down anyway."

Sarah gripped him. "Look, we both got our vests on, it can afford us a little time if we get hit, I…"

The Buy More pitched into darkness Bradshaw and his team ran around hunting for the power switch.

Casey nudged her up. "Don't know how that happened, but now's your chance, Sarah. Get Chuck out of here! I'll hold them off!"

"Casey, they'll kill you!"

"Better me than Chuck!"

Sarah gaped at him. The sincerity behind Casey's demand was astounding and heartfelt. He shoved her away.

"What do you want me to do? Play a violin and tell you I'm old and lived my life? I'm not _that_ wasted yet! This is my _job,_ Walker. I've been here all along to protect the asset and that's what I'm going to do, now move it!"

Sarah held back tears and brushed his cheek with a kiss. "You really are a heck of a partner."

"Yeah, I love you too." Casey grinned.

Sarah did a fast tumblesault through the small doorway and raced to the viewing room. Casey grunted satisfied when they safely exited the Buy More. He leaped up, and heard ten clicks. Red dots covered him like chicken pox. Even in the dark, Bradshaw was eagle-eyed. They weren't ready to blow him away yet. Bradshaw yanked Casey from behind the counter and dragged him across the floor. He pulled him to a standing position, patted him down, then tore off his bulletproof vest.

"Well, well, well! Major Casey! It's been a really long time, hasn't it? When was the last time we met? Oh yes, when you shot down the Afghani warlords I hired…you remember how you swooped in with that stealth bomber of yours, always the show off."

Casey nodded and managed a smirk. "I remember, it took me two years, but I found them…it was quite a _blast._ You might as well get this over with and kill me, Bradshaw. Chuck's gone."

Bradshaw's mouth tightened. "No matter. We'll find him. He'll be forced out of hiding, especially after we go after that lovely sister…"

Casey's eyes widened. "You leave the Woodcombs out of this mess! She's with child!"

"You know I never play fair, Casey. And why should I? When is life ever fair? I'm done with you."

Just as Bradshaw raised a hand signal to shoot, blinding helicopter lights streamed through the windows and a SWAT team clamored inside shouting for everyone to get on the ground. Bradshaw fired two haphazard shots and Casey was fell backwards from the impact. Pain seared through his chest and he rested his blurred gaze on the swirling propellers outside. Through the mayhem he saw Chuck and Sarah run to safety.

_Mission accomplished._

The Intersect lived to see another day. The one bullet that struck him missed a vital organ, but he stared death in the face when his gaze met Bradshaw's muzzle.

A SWAT officer rushed through the crowds and butted Bradshaw in his head with the back of his gun. Bradshaw slumped down and the officer kicked the gun out of reach. When the officer turned back Casey was gone. A sly smile flitted across his face. The V-Meds were ready and waiting to patch him up and Jeffrey Jones had orders to acclimate him. Whatever adventures Casey survived in this lifetime…were only the beginning.

**~Oo~**

The leader of the SWAT team hurried to meet Chuck and Sarah. He tore off his mask and shook out his wavy, black hair.

"Bryce Larkin! What? You're alive!"

"I know how to handle a death scene pretty well, Chuck." Bryce grinned at his stunned friends. "You should know that by now."

"Oh man, I don't believe this. What's happening?"

"I'm sorry we didn't come sooner, but there's a travesty up in Washington. We just got the Intel a few hours ago and General Beckman has been apprehended."

_"_What do you mean? Who's Intel?" Sarah asked.

Bryce shook his head with a snide laugh. "Who would have guessed that Beckman herself was head of Fulcrum all these years. Not to mention the Ring. No wonder she wanted you dead so badly. I'm sorry Chuck. She failed to get Casey to kill you so she hired Bradshaw."

Chuck felt intense anger. "That rotten…_gahh! _I can't believe it! She went through all this just to kill me? It would have been so easy form day one."

"No, it wouldn't have. You were still the only available intersect for the last three years. And she got fumbled after learning about your father and mother. She was a very cautious old bird and Casey and Sarah protected you very well."

Sarah looked at Bryce furious. "Not to mention Stephen Bartowski's upgraded Intersect. He must know the truth, but he couldn't tell you so that's why he gave it to you, Chuck."

"I believe it. My dad is full of surprises. His secrets have secrets. And I _can _believe this about Beckman. Did Casey know? Where did you get all this Intel, Bryce?"

Bryce shrugged. "I'm not at liberty to say right now. We were very cautious too, but all the proof was there. If Casey did know, he kept it on the down low. He likes you, Bartowski, I knew he wasn't going to kill you. I'll show you the files soon…wait a minute! Casey he's…"

An officer rushed up to Bryce and tapped his shoulder.

"Commander Larkin! I'm sorry to…_report_…Sir…but Colonel Casey is dead. I tried to stop Bradshaw but it was too late."

Chuck felt Sarah nearly go limp against him and he supported her up. He looked at the officer and sensed a familiarity.

"He can't be dead! He can't be! What did you do? Protect him with your eyes closed? How could you let this happen?" Chuck demanded.

Bryce stepped between the two men. The handsome officer lowered his head, but glared at Chuck and Sarah. His clear blue eyes burned into them and he wrung his mask in his hands. Sarah felt they definitely met before, but she couldn't place where or when. She could only be thankful that Casey knew how much she appreciated him as her partner.

"I didn't let it happen, Bradshaw already fired his gun. I'm very sorry for your loss. Colonel Casey has served his purpose here." He turned to Bryce and ran his hand through his dirty-blonde hair. He wiped sweat beads off his forehead.

"I honestly did what I could…_Sir."_

"Don't worry, officer _Bogg…_was it? It wasn't your fault…we'll be right in there. Thank you."

Bryce turned to console the others. The officer stepped backwards out of view. He clutched a round device tucked on his belt and disappeared into thin air.

Sarah hugged Chuck tight and wiped her tears. "Casey knew what he had to do…he wasn't going to let Bradshaw get the upper hand. His mission was always to protect to you and he did it to the end."

Bryce put an arm across his shoulders. "Chuck, as much of a bastard as Casey was, he was honorable and fought for the greater good. That can at least comfort you. And as for this Intersect business…it's over. No one will ever bother you about it again."

Chuck gaped at him. "You mean…I'm _free?_ No more spies and lying and people trying to kill us and all that?"

"Well…I can't promise that in the long run…but for now, _no more."_

"But I still have all these secrets in my brain."

"And that's exactly where they will remain…you'll still feed them to me through a clandestine operations unit that I'm in charge of. It was strange, but when they found Beckman, all Intel and proof of your existence in the NSA and CIA database was completely erased…even your Stanford testing records and Beckman wandered around like a raving lunatic. Sarah and I are the only ones left with knowledge of you and the Intersect and I intend to keep it that way. You can't fight it, Chuck. The spy business is in your blood now. Looks like you're in it with us for the long haul, my friend."

Bryce surveyed the area and smiled. _Officer_ Bogg accomplished his mission and his team at VHQ would supplant the proper memories of Casey's death and funeral. Casey was on his way to a new career of a lifetime.

There was still a lot he didn't understand about theVoyager unit that saved his life last year, but Bryce was eager to learn, and eventually Chuck and Sarah would remember too.

Chuck held Sarah's hand. "And what about Sarah? What will she do?"

Bryce sighed contented. "Sarah's free to make her own choices…and you know she's already made that one."

**The End.**


End file.
